It doesn't make any sense
by ProFfeSseR
Summary: Last chapter we saw how Rory finally went home after spending a year in London. This is the epilogue, finally! complete
1. She isn't, is she?

Title: It doesn't make any sense  
_Genre: Romance/angst  
__Summary: Lorelai finds out she is pregnant. She's dating Luke for almost a year now, but they haven't talked about children yet. How will he respond, and Rory, and her parents?_

_A/N It was a long, boring train trip across the country when I started writing this story. My pen and paper kept me busy for hours when the words just came out. At the end of the day I was tired and didn't thought my story made any sense so I left it in my notebook for over a week. After watching a new episode of Gilmore Girls I was thinking that somehow the story wasn't that bad. It just needed some adding and rewriting. This is what I made of it so far. Hope you like it. Please read and review!!!_

**Chapter 1: She isn't, is she?**

Luke was working at the diner. It was a pretty busy afternoon. It was almost 4 ó clock and he finally had some time to slow down a bit and do something on his own. When he was thinking what to do with this unexpected extra time, he decided to give Lorelai a call. Her afternoon had been as busy as always, she was still busy when Luke called, but she decided to slow down for a bit and talk to him. She walked into her office so they could talk in private.

Luke was in the storage room himself. It reminded him at their first phone call when they started dating. When he was pretty worried about the kiss. He was afraid that he thought more of it than she thought, but fortunately it turned out that she liked it as much as he did. Now he was there again, talking to her at the same spot. With the same phone. A year had gone by since and their relationship was going pretty well. Much better than any citizen of Stars Hallow would have predicted. Maybe even better than Luke had expected. They where getting closer and closer and it was getting harder to be apart, to sleep alone. They had discussed this on occasion, but hadn't made any big decisions yet though.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"How are you doing?"

"Well, you know, busy as always."

"Of course, the diner was pretty grouted itself."

"But you found time to call me?"

"Yes, I did. It was getting pretty empty so I figured Caesar could handle things on his own for a while."

"Yes you did."

"So, you want to go out tonight?"

"Yes, of course. I think I'll be busy in here till 8"

"You want to go home to shower or shall I pick you up at the inn at 8, so we can grab some dinner?"

"You can pick me up here. I'm already starting to get hungry, so I'm pretty sure I'll be starving at 8."

"I'm pretty sure you do"

"Hey Luke?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Well, you know, for knowing me so well."

"Oh yeah, that."

Lorelai smiled at his reply. He could be so shy. "So I see you at 8?"

"Yes, I'll be there."

"Okay, good. So I better get back to work than, otherwise I'll never get out at 8."

"You should than."

"Yes I should. Bye Luke."

"Bye Lorelai."

While Lorelai was in her office she started searching for her day planner. Opening it, and checking the upcoming dates, she noticed that the anniversary of the opening of the in was only a few weeks away, which meant that the anniversary of dating Luke would be even faster. She smiled when she remembered the test run of the inn. And the special night where she and Luke shared their first kiss. Sadly, she remembered the other things that happened to that night. Unfortunately they had put a bad shadow over the good thing that happened that day. Maybe it could have been the second best day of her live, unfortunately it hadn't turned out that way. But she was glad though, that the kiss happened that day. This was something she would never, ever forget in her life. This was kiss she wanted to tell her grandchildren about one day. Was she really thinking that? She never talked to Luke about children. She... suddenly she noticed today's date. Was it really. Her fingers pointed at the date. Yes it was. She cursed inwardly. It couldn't be right. They where safe. She couldn't be.... could she?

Lorelai closed the day planner. She left her office and went to the kitchen to find Sookie. She was already busy preparing tonight's dinner. Sookie looked up to her best friend. She seemed kind of weird. "What's wrong?"

"I'm late."

"Late for what?"

"Just late."

"Oh."

"I don't know what to do."

"You should do a test."

"Yes, I know that. But what if it's positive Sook." Lorelai was whispering, making sure nobody else in the kitchen could hear their conversation.

"He'll be happy."

"We haven't discussed it."

"He loves you. He'll be happy."

"You don't know that, do you."

"Trust me, he'll be happy."

"He'll be happy?"

"Yes he will."

"Do you think it's okay if I drive to Hartford now and buy a test?"

"No, of course not, you should go."

"I'll be back an hour our so."

"Take your time sweetie."

"Thank you."

Sookie just nodded and watched her friend leave. She smiled, knowing this would work out either way. After that, she took her attention back to her work.

Lorelai came back with a pregnancy test about an hour later. She had thought about taking the test right there, in the mall, but she couldn't. She needed some kind of privacy. She thought about going home but realized that wasn't an option. Babette would notice her coming home that early and knowing Babette she knew she was going to ask questions. Going back to the inn seemed to be the only right option. She sneaked into the ladies room. She checked if there wasn't anybody in there and after she made sure there wasn't any she locked the door so she couldn't be disturbed. She took the test out of her purse and started reading the instructions. She realized that nothing had chanced since she had done one of these 20 years ago. The result of that test had changed her life forever. At that moment she wasn't sure if it was a good thing. It definitely wasn't what she wanted to happen at that age. But looking back now, she knew that everything turned out properly. She had the best daughter anyone could wish for. And it wasn't only her daughter, but also her best friend. Lorelai thought about calling her daughter at the moment, but decided not to. She had to do this by herself. She thought about what Luke was going to say. What if she was pregnant. She knew their relationship was doing well. But a baby? That would change everything right? They never discussed children. He loved her child, but she was eleven when he met her. He had been a great father for Rory the past few years, she knew that much. But babies? She knew he liked Davie. But a child of his own, that would be different. She couldn't help but smiled at the idea of Luke being a father. She knew that if she ever wanted a second child, it had to be Luke's.

After that thought she took the test. Now all there was left to do was wait. There was nothing she could change about this situation now. She could be pregnant. Our she could be just late, nothing to it. She could start her period tomorrow. Our not. She checked her watch. 5 More minutes to go. For a while she closed her eyes. She saw Rory as a baby. And she saw Rory taking her first steps. She saw her at her first day of school.. Of high school. At Chilton. At Yale. She saw Luke at the first time she met him. She saw his face at the argument they had before he kissed her. He saw his face when he was about he kissed her, and after he kissed her. She saw him at their first date. At their first night together. She saw him laying in her bed just the night before. When he had fallen asleep earlier than she did. She couldn't have stopped watching him till she finally had fallen asleep herself. She saw the smile on his face, when she woke up in his arms this morning. Her thoughts where broking by the beeping of her watch. The 5 minutes where over. She had to check now. One little line could change her life forever, once more. She closed her eyes once more and saw the blue line of the first test. She picked up the test and slowly opened her eyes. Once again she saw a blue line. She was pregnant. Again. She had to sit down now. She expected it. Somehow it was what she wanted but it was still some shocking news. A baby? Even with all the thoughts from before she didn't knew what to do, but fortunately she hadn't much time to think about that, as someone was knocking the door. "Hey, who's in there. Can you please open the door."

Lorelai stood up. Dropped the test back in the box and put everything in her purse. She looked at herself in the mirror and after she made sure she seemed okay from the outside, she opened the door and walked out. "Sorry, I didn't realized I locked this door to."

"It's okay, the lady said." With that, Lorelai went back to work.


	2. Luke

**Chapter 2: Luke**

Lorelai had been avoiding Sookie since she had done the test and was grateful that the inn was busy so she had no time to stand still and think. It was a little after 8 when Luke came in. She was just finishing the last few things that had to be done. He noticed she wasn't quit ready so took a seat near the front desk for a while, knowing she would come when she was ready. She noticed him sitting there and for the first time since hours she thought about the afternoon's events. She wondered how he was going to react on this news. He noticed that she was watching him so he smiled. She smiled back. Writing down one last thing, she walked into her office to get her coat and purse. After that she walked over to Luke. He stood up when he saw her coming. She stood still just in front of him, kissing his lips softly.

"Hi."

"Hi, ready to go."

"Absolutely, I'm starving."

"I thought you would say that."

"I bet you do. So, where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Didn't had anything in mind really."

"No?" Luke smiled. Smiling back she took his hand. "Let's go." With that they went outside to his truck. He opened the door for her so she could step in. Kissing her once more, he closed her door and walked around the truck to his own site. He started the truck and started driving.

"Where are we going?"

"I was thinking that place you liked so much, where we where 2 weeks ago."

"That's nice."

"I thought so. So, it was a busy day huh?"

"Yeah."

"The diner was pretty busy during dinner, it was just slowing down a bit when I left the place with Caesar and Lane."

"Oh."

Luke looked at her. That was some short reply. He wasn't used to get short answers from her. Usually she loved talking, even about subjects where there wasn't that much to say about. He kind of loved that about her, even though he made funny comments about that most time she was rattling. Maybe she was just tired. She had told him the inn was pretty busy this afternoon and she was still working when he came in at 8, so she probably had no time to keep it slow for a few minutes all day. With that thought he decided not to mention it and just kept driving in silence.

Lorelai tried to act as normal as possible trough dinner. She told about her day, leaving the baby part out of it. She knew she had to tell him soon, but decided that the restaurant wasn't the right place. There where to much people and although they could talk together in private, it just didn't seemed right.

Luke felt much better when she kept talking during dinner. He probably was right when he thought she was just tired. Taking a few moments to get to herself had done a good job. He listened to her stories and answered her questions and told her about his own day.

After desert he wanted to order her a cup of coffee but she shook her head.

"No, let's just go."

He looked at her. "No coffee?"

"No, don't feel like it."

"You don't feel like coffee?"

"No, is that so weird?" That line made her laugh herself. Of course it was weird that she didn't wanted any coffee. But she couldn't order de-café and with the baby, the regular stuff wouldn't be good. She didn't liked the fake stuff as much anyway.

The waitress was still waiting so to her Lorelai said: "No coffee, can you take us the bill please?" The waitress nodded and walked away.

Luke looked at Lorelai, confused. She took his hand and told him. "Notting's wrong. I'm tired so I just want to go home. The coffee they got here wasn't that good anyway, so I thought you could make me some at home." That answer seemed okay for now. It didn't made her feel better because it was sort of a lie. But she couldn't tell him just yet.

They arrived at her house half an hour later. Lorelai turned on some lights when Luke walked into the kitchen to make some coffee. She followed him in the kitchen and place her hand at his. He looked up from what he was doing. There was something in her eyes and he didn't knew what it was. He hasn't seen it before.

"Lorelai, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't tell me there's nothing because I know there is. You where to silent in the car and I noticed that you tried to act normal during dinner. You didn't wanted any coffee at the restaurant. That is not nothing Lorelai." Luke was kind of upset. The words came out louder than he intended to.

"Luke."

"What?" Again. Why was he acting like this. He wanted to listen to her. He didn't wanted to get angry. He was just worried about her.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" This time it came out less loud. She was pregnant?

"I'm pregnant."

He wasn't expecting this. Pregnant? They where careful right. How could she be... Of course it could.

"Luke say something, please." She sounded worried now.

He was going to be a father? They where getting a child? What...

"Luke, please!" She was almost begging now.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes, I was checking my day planner after you called and I realized I was late. I went to Hartford to get a pregnancy test and it turned out positive."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." She walked back into the living room and picked up her purse. She took out the test. Luke had followed her and took it out of her hands. There was a clear blue line.

"So your pregnant?"

"Yes Luke, I am pregnant."

"Oh." The expression on his face didn't changed. She started to get really worried now.

"Luke, I know we hadn't discussed this. I'm so sorry." Some tears showed up in the corner of her eyes. She turned her head away now.

Suddenly he realised that he wasn't taking this very well. Now he had upset her. All he wanted was her to be okay and now he caused the opposite himself. He took her face in his hands, carefully turning it so she could face him.

"Hey, don't be sorry. This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is Luke. I messed up the pill, so this is my fault." Tears where streaming down her face now. "I'm so sorry Luke."

"No. He was talking very softly now. "I am sorry. I'm not taking this the way I want to. The words I'm saying don't come out right. I'm just very surprised, that's all. I know we haven't discussed this but I do like it Lorelai, I do."

"Really?"

"Yes." With that he took her in his strong arms. He let her cry for a while, just holding her. Placing kisses on her forehead. After a while he whispered: "I love you."

She pulled back a little so she could face him. "I love you to."

He used his thumb to wipe her tears away. After that he kissed her. When the kiss ended he had a big smile on his face. "I'm going to be a father."

She smiled back. "Yes you are."


	3. Morning sickness and doctors appointment...

**Chapter 3: Morning sickness and doctors appointments **

Luke spend the night. He woke up at his usual time, but was surprised to find the bed empty. He jumped out of bed, searching for Lorelai. He found her in the bathroom, sitting on the cold floor. She didn't looked good. He knelt down besides her.

"What's wrong?"

"Morning sickness."

"Oh." Of course. A nice symptom of pregnancy. Just when she was about to say something she felt a new puff of nausea. He noticed this and held her hair when she was throwing up in the toilet. When she was done she let herself fell back on the bathroom floor. She seemed exhausted.

"How long have you been up?"

"I don't know, for over an hour our so."

"Why didn't you woke me up?"

"Because you are supposed to open the diner in an hour and you'll mess up the orders when you're tired, besides, there's not much you can do for me anyway and I don't look very pretty throwing up also."

"I want to be there for you Lorelai. I can hold your hair and you will always look pretty to me."

"You just say that to make me feel better."

"I would never do such a thing." He took her in his arms, pulling her close. She rested her head against his chest. This really felt good.

"Was it like this when you where pregnant with Rory?" Luke wanted to kill the silent and he was also curious if being nausea like that was normal. It couldn't be right? Being up at 4 in the morning, spending over an hour in the bathroom just to vomit?

"Sort of. It is a long time ago but I remember..." She stopped when she began feeling nausea once again. He stroke her hair when she was able to keep thinks in this time. It took her a while before she continued. "I remember being nausea in the morning. Waking up just to throw up. But after a while it became better and one day I realised it stopped."

Luke staid with her in the bathroom until she said that she felt good enough to go down and get some coffee. He protested, of course. But she asked for one last cup only and promised him she'd stop bye at Doose's to buy de-café later that day. He thought it was a nice compromise so he went down to make her the coffee and some breakfast, which she rejected nicely. She wasn't up to eating anything after being sick al morning already. He tried by telling her that she was suppose to eat well anyway but gave in faster than usual.

After he finished eating they went upstairs again to get dressed. He showered first because she needed the time to pick out clothes anyway. He shaved while she was in the shower. It was a nice morning ritual they did more often lately. At the beginning of their relationship she had trouble with waking up as early as he did but somehow she was getting used to it. Not every morning, but most of them she woke up the same time he did so they could have breakfast together. She started earlier in the inn and most of the time she was able to go home at a decent time so they could share dinner. Sometimes going out. Sometimes just eating at the diner. Whatever came up. They slept at her place sometimes, other times they slept in his apartment. Their clothes where spread across both places now, so they didn't had to go back to there own place to get changed before going to work. This was a lot easier.

While standing under the shower Lorelai thought about all that. She thought that now they where having a child maybe they should pick one place where they could live together. Maybe even get married one day. Thinking that she realized how much her life had changed within 24 hours. The morning before all she thought about while standing in the shower was where she was having lunch. Now she was thinking about her future. Once again her life was about to change so much but she knew that this time it would be a lot different than last time. She was going trough all of it by herself. Of course, Christopher had told her he wanted to do it with her but she had known the truth. When he asked her if she wanted to marry him she could see from the look in his eyes that he wanted her to say 'no', so she did. She raised their daughter by herself.

When she stepped out of the shower, Luke was watching her through the mirror. She saw he was staring at her.

"What are you looking at?"

Luke smiled. "You, of course."

"Lorelai smiled back. "Look good now, because I might never look this way again."

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know, with the pregnancy and all."

"Oh, yeah. You'll look beautiful anyway."

Her smile was even bigger now. She walked closer to him, pulling her arms around his shoulders. Kissing his cheek, whispering "I love you."

"He turned his head so he could kiss her mouth. "I love you to." "You have to go to the doctor today?"

"Yeah, I have to call to make an appointment soon."

"Well, call me what time you have to be there. I'll come along with you."

"You don't have to."

"I know I don't, but I will."

"Thank you." She kissed him again and than turned around and walked to her bedroom so she could get dressed.

Lorelai arrived at the inn at 8.30. She had made an appointment with the doctor at 1.30 p.m. and Luke had promised to pick her up at 12.30 so they could have lunch before going to the doctors office. Sookie was already waiting for Lorelai to show up and when she spotted her friend she almost ran over to her.

"And?"

"And what?" Lorelai pulled her friend along with her into her office so they could talk in private. This wasn't the kind of conversation she wanted to have in the hallway of her own inn. This wasn't anybody's business.

"Well?"

Lorelai smiled in response.

"You're pregnant right?"

"Yes I am, but you have to promise me you won't tell anybody. Not even Jackson. I haven't told anyone yet, not even Rory."

"What about Luke?"

"I told Luke."

"What did he say?"

"At first he totally freaked out but now he's really sweet. He hold my hair when I had to vomit this morning and he's coming with me to the doctors appointment this afternoon."

"That's really sweet."

"Yeah. He is." Lorelai smiled.

Luke kept his word and walked into the in at 12.30 sharp. He had brought lunch with him so they had more time. He had some of her favourite stuff, but he also had fruit and other healthy stuff she wouldn't eat usually. She protested but ate an apple just to please him. She drank the de-café he brought with a smile but remembered why she never drank the stuff. It was really bad. Knowing that she wouldn't get any regular for the next 8 our 9 months didn't made it any better.

They arrived at the doctors office right about 5 minutes early. She signed in and after that took a seat next to him in the waiting area. They didn't had to wait long before the doctor called them in. The doctor appeared to be a nice woman about the same age Lorelai had. Her name was dr Laura Elder. The office was a painted white which made it appear very sterile but there where flowers and paintings on the wall which gave the room a very different perspective.

Laura started with a normal anamnesis, asking her about her period, her condition, symptoms she had been having lately, nausea. After that she draw some blood to do an official pregnancy test. Although there was no doubt that Lorelai was pregnant this was the official way to do this. She promised she would call them as soon as she had the test results back. She told them they could make a new appointment with the assistant because it was most likely they needed one.

"Do you have any questions?"

"How long will the blood test take?"

"I think I have the test results back first thing tomorrow. If everything goes the way expected I think I can call you around 10 ó clock tomorrow." Luke was pleased with that answer.

"When can you tell how far along I am?"

"Considering your latest period as a real period about 3 our 4 weeks. But I can't tell until we'll do an ultrasound."

"When will you do one?"

"Well, we can do an ultrasound on your wife's next appointment," she told Luke.

"Oh, she is not... we are not.."

"Oh, I'm sorry I asked you guys so many questions but I didn't asked about that now did I. But you are the babies father right?"

Luke smiled at Lorelai who answered for him. "Yes he is." He took her hand in his. "He absolutely is."

"Any other questions?"

Luke thought about it for a moment before he asked. "That morning sickness. Is it normal when she wakes up at 4 ó clock to throw up, and keeps throwing up within periods for more than an hour?"

Laura nodded. "Unfortunately that's one of the not so nice side affects of pregnancy. One woman has it worse than an other. It's impossible to say how long it will keep on but usually it takes at least the first trimester. After that it will get better."

"There's nothing that can be done about it?"

"When it is very extreme there are medicine but we don't usually write them out because the baby will get them to and they can cause side affects we rather will prevent from happening."

It wasn't the answer he was hoping for but it made him sort of feel better that it was common. Although he hated the fact that she had to face mornings like that for the next few months.

Luke had no more questions and neither did Lorelai. They stepped by the assistants desk to make a new appointment and went outside afterwards. Still holding hands.

"So."

"So."

"Do you have to go back to work?"

"No, I took the rest of the afternoon of. I couldn't focus anyway."

"You are okay right?"

"Yes Luke, I'm fine. Don't worry so much."

"Can't help it."

"Well, just try okay."

"What do you want to do the rest of the afternoon?"

"I was thinking about paying Rory a visit. I want to tell her about this myself before anyone finds out and fills her in before I had a change."

"Don't you want to wait for tomorrows blood test?"

"No, you heard what doctor Elder said, it was only to make it official but there isn't any doubt that I am pregnant."

"I guess your right."

"Do you have to go back to the diner?"

"I can come with you if you want."

"No, that's not necessary. Can you just take me back to the inn so I can pick up my jeep?"

"I can drive you to Yale and pick you up there later. We can go out after that."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I would like to."

Lorelai was to tired to protest. She was up to early to fight Luke and just sitting in the car next to him besides driving didn't sounded to bad anyway. All she wanted was talk to her daughter. She was afraid about Luke's reaction the day before and she hadn't even thought about what Rory was going to say. She would be happy about getting a sibling, right??

_A/N Well, that's what I got so far. I know the title of my story doesn't make any sense yet, but it will later, trust me. I have to start doing some homework now, but I'll try to continue with the story and update soon. Please tell me what you think so far!!!_


	4. Rory

_A/N At first I want to thank the people who wrote me reviews already. I'm very glad to hear that you like my story so far._

_About my English, my first language is Dutch as I live in the Netherlands. I've learned English in high school even though it wasn't my strongest course, at all. It improved a lot the past few years and I'm hoping to get an internship in a foreign country next year so I can improve my English even more. Anyway, tips are always welcome so if you notice I make huge grammar mistakes, tell me because I don't realize I do it wrong!!! _

**Chapter 4: Rory**

While Luke and Lorelai where driving to New Haven she couldn't stop talking. Luke smiled inwardly as he realised she was back to her normal self. But the closer they got, the more quiet she became. Of course, Luke realized that immediately.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You're kind of quiet."

"Oh."

"She's going to like this Lorelai."

"How can you tell?"

"I just know. She's a good kid you know."

"Of course I know that. But still, what if..."

"Stt.. don't say it." He placed his hand on top of hers and looked her in the eye for a moment. "This is going to work out. I promise." After that he switch his attention back to the road.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." Luke smiled at her insecurity. This wasn't really like her. It was big news, but there was no doubt in his mind what so ever, that Rory wasn't going to like it. She had been so happy for them when she realized he and Lorelai had finally gotten together. And she would be happy now. "You know, you don't have to tell her by yourself, I can come with you if you like."

"No that's okay, you have to get back to the diner."

"The diner is fine, I rather stay with you if you need me."

"No, I think your right. She is going to like this news right? She has to like it."

"She will."

"Yes, she will." Lorelai watched Luke for a moment. She could see the worry his face showed. He was very protective. She never thought she could have a relationship with a man like the relationship they had. When they first started dating she had been scared. But now, all of that was gone. She was never more sure about anything than she was about this relationship. She knew Luke was going to be a great father. He already had been to Rory, even though that wasn't his job. Sometimes, he was even more worried about her than she was...

"What are you thinking?" She hadn't even noticed that he was looking at her.

She smiled at him. "I was thinking how happy I am."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He smiled back at her. At the same moment he stopped the car. She looked confused at first but than noticed that they where there.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"I'll call you."

"It will take me some time to get here."

"I know. That's okay. I'll call early enough. I promise."

"Okay." He leaned forward to kiss her. "See you later." She kissed him once more and stepped out of the car. She waved when she watched him drive away. When she couldn't see him anymore she picked up her cell phone and dialled Rory's number. She was glad when Rory answered which meant that she wasn't in any class at the moment. They talked for a brief moment and agreed on a place to meet.

On the way there Rory was kind of worried. It wasn't usual for her mother to come over to Yale at a workday. Especially unannounced. She also sounded kind of nervous on the phone. She started walking faster as she realized this. She had to see her mother, to make sure everything was okay.

She saw Lorelai immediately. She walked towards her and hugged her.

"Hi mom."

"Hi sweaty. Let's find a place where we can talk quietly."

"Okay, follow me." Rory lead her mother to one of the parks where there was a nice quiet place so they could talk in private. They sat down at a bench.

"Mom, is everything okay?" Noticing the worried expression on her daughters face Lorelai answered to fast.

"Everything's fine."

"Mom?" Rory knew there was something.

"It's just, I have to tell you something." Lorelai sounded very nervous now.

"What is it?"

"It's... she paused. You have to promise me you'll tell me what you think about this honestly."

"Mom!"

"Promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

"Good..." She stopped talking again.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Just tell me."

"Okay... I... I'm pregnant." She couldn't look Rory in the face so she stared down. After a few seconds she took her attention back to Rory so she could see her reaction.

"Really?" Rory smiled at her mother.

She is smiling? Is she really liking this? She is smiling??

"Yes." Lorelai nodded.

Rory hugged her mother now. "That is really great mom!"

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do." She kept smiling for a while, but suddenly her smile faded away. Lorelai noticed this immediately and started to become worried al over again.

"What's wrong? Rory?"

"It's just... I've been excepted in a study program. I'm going to London."

"What?"

"I applied to this program because it's a really great program. And I just heard this morning that I got in and I..."

"It takes 9 months to carry a baby. The summer's long over when the baby gets born"

"No you don't understand. This isn't a summer program I'm talking about."

"What?"

"I'm supposed to go to London for an entire year mom"

"What?? Why haven't you told me before?"

"I didn't wanted to worry you. It is really hard to get in, I never expected to get in so I thought I would only tell if I did get in."

"You should have told me."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"So it's a good program?"

"It's a great program." Rory smiled just thinking about it. "But I can't go now."

"Why not?"

"With the baby and all. You'll need me."

"I've got Luke."

"Oh god Luke, what did he say?"

"At first he freaked out. But now he's really sweet. He went with me to the doctor. And he hold my hair when I was sick this morning."

"You where sick?"

"Yes, that's what happens you know. You made me puke for over 3 months."

"Oh, sorry." Lorelai laughed at the look on her daughters face.

"I still blame you, you know."

"What?" Lorelai laughed harder now. Suddenly Rory realized that her mother was just teasing her, like always.

"So you don't mind if I go?"

"You kidding? Of course I mind if you go. You want to go away to London for an entire year. What are you thinking? You went away for seven weeks without me last summer and I missed you every single moment, and now you want to go away for an entire year?"

"Oh.." Rory looked at her mother. She saw a sad expression on her face and knew that it was a reflection of her own expression.

"When do you leave?"

"What?"

"When do you leave?" Lorelai took her daughters hands in hers. "Look, I will miss you like hell. But I don't say you can't go. Of course you should go. It's a great opportunity. I've always wanted to go to Europe for a study program."

"I'm sorry."

"What for. I know I didn't got what I wanted back than. But I did got you. That's even better." Lorelai smiled.

"Really?" Rory was still a little insecure.

"Really. But you should follow your dreams. I want you to go. It will be great. Just promise me you'll write and call me every day."

"I will" Rory was smiling to now.

"Good." Lorelai pulled her daughter in a hug. She whispered: "I love you."

"I love you to mom."

They remained like that for a while till Rory finally pulled back. "I'm really happy for you and Luke mom. It's really great news."

"Thanks sweaty."

Lorelai was very happy with Rory's reaction. She spend the rest of the afternoon together. They talked more about the baby. About Luke's reaction. About the doctors appointment. And Rory told her mother about the study program. What it would be like, what she had to do to get in. They drank coffee together. De-café for Lorelai of course, although the smile of Rory's regular made it even worse for her.  
It was a nice spent afternoon and Lorelai didn't called Luke until it was almost 7 ó clock. Rory had offered to give her a ride home, but she told her that it wasn't necessary.


	5. The grandparents

**Chapter 5: The grandparents**

Luke picked up Lorelai at Yale at 7.30. They decided to stay in New Haven for dinner. They asked Rory to join them but she refused. She was told them that she would just order some pizza because she had a lot of homework to do.  
During dinner Lorelai told Luke how happy Rory was about their baby. She didn't told him about London though. She wasn't ready to talk about that. She tried so hard to act normal that she actually succeeded this time. There was enough to talk about otherwise with the events of the past couple of days.

After dinner they drove back to her place. It was almost 10 ó clock when they arrived. As she wasn't allowed to drink regular coffee she decided to go to bed immediately. She was tired anyway as she was up since 4 in the morning.  
In bed, Luke lay on his back, her head rested on his chest, his arm was tight around her.

"It was a good day." Luke looked at her when he realized she wasn't answering. She wasn't asleep yet. "What's wrong?" He ran his fingers through her hair.

"She's leaving."

"Who is?"

"Rory." Tears filled the corners of her eyes.

"What?"

"She's leaving Luke."

He could feel her tears on his chest now. "What do you mean?"

"She's going to London."

"For the summer?"

"No, for an entire school year."

"Oh."

"She's accepted in a study program. She hadn't told me because it was hard to get in and...."

"Hey, come here." He pulled her even closer. Holding her in his strong arms, just letting her cry. He knew how worried she was about sharing her news with Rory and now she got this kind of news. He wondered how she was able to keep it in all night and knew she just had to let it out now. All he could do for her was hold her and make sure he was there for her. Nothing he could would make her feel better now. In the end she just felt asleep. Luke kept holding her as he felt asleep himself.

When she woke up the next morning she was still in his arms. She felt nausea again so hurried to the bathroom, careful not to wake Luke. At first she succeeded but when she was close to the door she ran in to her closet. He stepped out, following her to the bathroom holding her hair when she vomited, stroking her back with his other hand. When she was done she let herself fell back in his arms, just like the day before. She took some toilet paper to wipe her mouth.

"Do you think I will ever get used to this?"

"I don't think you could."

"Luke?"

"Mmm.."

"What time is it?"

Checking his watch he answered: "4.45."

"Wow, It's improving than." She laughed sarcastically. Luke didn't replied. He just kissed her forehead in respond.

"Luke, what day is it?"

"Friday."

"Just great."

"What?"

"You know, Friday night dinners. You've been to several of them lately."

"I know. You want to tell your parents?"

"Already?"

"The sooner the better right? Than at least they can't give you a hard time about it when they find out otherwise."

"Maybe, but I don't think I'm ready to tell them you know."

"I'll be there with you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, but still, they will probably give me a hard time about it anyway."

"You don't know that right."

"Hello, have you met my parents?"

"Lorelai."

"Okay, so you met them. But..."

"Don't say it. We'll see what will happen okay. And if they'll give you a hard time about this they have to deal with me."

Lorelai looked up, laughing at the sudden change in his moves. "You're trying anything you can huh."

"I'm just trying to tell you that you're not going trough this alone. This isn't just your baby, it's our baby."

She nodded as she felt nausea again. She threw up 2 more times before she took a shower, skipping breakfast again. As she was up early anyway, she decided to go to the diner with Luke before going to the inn. She arrived there at around 8 and worked till 10. She made sure she was in her office at the moment, because she knew dr. Elder could call. She called about 10 minutes after 10 and told Lorelai that the blood test confirmed that she was pregnant. This wasn't a surprise at all, of course. They talked for a couple of minutes before hanging up. Laura gave her some tips to handle the morning sickness and made sure that skipping breakfast wasn't an option. If she didn't wanted to eat early, she should have a late breakfast around 10. After they hang up Lorelai went to the kitchen to get some food from Sookie. They talked for a bit before she went back to work. She had lunch at Luke's and agreed to meet him there again at 6 so she could change before heading of the her parents house.

They arrived there at a quarter to 7. Rory was already there. Her mother offered her a martini but she, of course, refused. She asked for some ice tea instead. Her mother wanted to comment on that, but Lorelai told her that she and Luke agreed that she was the one driving tonight, so he could drink a few beers. Luckily enough, Emily didn't asked any further and went to get them the drinks they asked for. Luke and Lorelai walked into the living room where Rory was talking to Richard.  
Emily and Richard had lived separately for a few months but missed each other to much. They spend all their time wondering what the other was doing and finally they found enough courage to talk to each other. They talked over all their problems and their relationship was now better than it had ever been.  
From their conversation Lorelai understood that Rory had already told them about London. When Emily came back with their drinks she mentioned to Lorelai how proud she was at Rory to get into a program like that. She kept talking on how hard it was to get in and Richard told how much he wanted to tell all his friends about this. They started eating at 7 and it wasn't until after desert that there was a silent moment, perfect for Luke and Lorelai to share their news. Luke looked at Lorelai, his eyes asking if she wanted to tell now. She thought about it for a moment before she started.

"Mom, dad, Luke and I have some news we would like to share with you."

Emily looked at her daughter, waiting for her to continue. Lorelai waited for her to respond but when she kept silent she continued. "I'm pregnant."

At first, Emily didn't responded, she stared at Richard for a moment who stood up and walked to his daughter, giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Congratulations." Than he walked over to Luke and shook his hand, telling him the same thing.

Emily didn't knew if she was to happy about this. She knew that Lorelai was happy with this man. But they weren't married. Although, maybe now they would get married. She wanted to ask, but the look on Richard face made her stop. Their was something telling her that she shouldn't do that and just do the same thing Richard did. Lorelai was an adult now, she wasn't planning on raising this child on her own. She should be happy for her. So she stood up and kissed both Lorelai and Luke. "I think I'm happy for you too."

Lorelai was confused at this gesture. This wasn't what she expected. "That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say Lorelai? That I'm not happy you finally found a man you love and that you're still with him after almost a year? That I'm not happy that you're starting a family? Is that what you want? That I'm angry at you for getting pregnant again, without being married?"

"No mom, of course not. It's just..." She paused, not knowing what else to say. Luke looked at her, taking her hand in his. "I was just a little worried about your reaction I guess," she finished.

"Why Lorelai?" Emily started to sound angry now.

"I don't know. I just..." She was feeling very unconvertible now. "Never mind mom"

"No, tell me Lorelai," really angry.

Richard decided to stood up for his daughter now. "Emily, drop it." Emily looked at him angrily. "Come on Lorelai. Tell me. How far along are you anyway? How long have you waited to tell us this time? Tell me Lorelai!"

Lorelai looked at her mother. "Forget it mom." After that she stood and walked away. It took everyone a few seconds to realise what just happened. Luke stood up and to follow her.

"Wait, I'll go," Emily said, standing up too.

"No, you've done enough. Do you know what it took for her to tell you this right away? She found out only 2 days ago." With that, Luke walked out of the room, upstairs searching for Lorelai. Emily and the rest staid behind, watching him leave.

"Great job Emily, couldn't you just keep your big mouth shut for once?' Richard sounded angry.

"I... I just.."

"As always Emily." He stood up and walked into his office.

"I didn't meant it like that."

Rory looked at her grandmother. "I know you didn't, but it took a lot of courage for her to tell you right away. She told me yesterday so you're probably the first one to know after that." Rory sounded angry too. Emily watched her granddaughter. Great, she thought, now everybody was angry with her.

Luke found Lorelai in her old room, she was laying on the bed, crying. He laid down behind her, pulling her against his chest, holding her close.

"I told you." She sobbed.

"I'm so sorry Lorelai."

"It's not your fault."

"It is partially isn't it?"

"What do you mean? The baby?"

"Yeah, the baby to, besides, I made you tell them, even though you didn't wanted to"

"Don't ever say that Luke. I know we hadn't planned for this to happen but I'm really happy about this." She sobbed even louder now.

"You where right about your mother."

"What was I thinking. I thought that after the past few months she could be just happy for me. All I wanted was for her to be happy for me, even if it was just one time. Why can't she be like a real mother Luke?"

"I don't know. I really don't know"

"My whole life I tried to please her. I know I can't do that but every time I fall for it again. And every time something happens which feels like a slap in my face." She was no longer crying now. She was just angry. She sad up, releasing herself from Luke's grip. He sat up too, watching her. She used her hands to wipe the tears away from her face and left the room. Luke followed her. "Lorelai wait."

She wasn't stopping. She started walking even faster, down the stairs, into the living room where Emily was waiting.

"You know what mom?" Lorelai was screaming now. "I don't care what you think anymore. 20 Years ago I left because I couldn't be with you. The past few years I tried to get along with you. I came her every Friday as you asked me too. I complained sometimes, but I always came. I never really asked anything from you. Yes, money, well you can keep your money. Giving me money doesn't make you a good parent. All I wanted from you was to be happy for me this one time. I love having this baby. This one time I have my life in order and still you can't be happy for me with what I've got. It is never enough. Well, It is enough for me now. I don't want this anymore. Never again. Goodbye mom!" With that Lorelai turned around and walked to the front door. There she turned around once more, walking back in the living room. Making sure that she didn't faced her mother again she looked at Rory. "Sorry you had to witness that honey. I call you later okay?" Her voice was softer now. Rory nodded at her mother. With that Lorelai turned around again. Luke was standing close behind her. She took his hand and pulled him away with her. "Let's go."

_  
A/N That's is it for now. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Maybe tomorrow but I'm going out tonight so I can't promise.  
__Bye the way, I want to thank my friend who gave me the website where you can download Gilmore Girls (and other TV-shows) so I can see the newest episodes almost a year early, as in Dutch television we're almost always one season behind!!!_


	6. Dealing with the consequences

_A/N Again, thanks for reviewing my story. I'm sorry it's been over a week since I updated. I planned to have someone spell check my new chapters but I thing something went wrong there. Anyway, I was impatient and couldn't wait any longer so here they are (not checked yet) I read them a few times and changed weird sentences and all but this is the best I can do for now. I hope you like these chapters and I'll just keep writing!!_

**Chapter 6: Dealing with the consequences **

Emily watched Lorelai leave. She had no idea what just happened. Why did she always screwed up things with her daughter. Why couldn't they just have a normal relationship. She actually had the feeling that things went better the past few months. Honestly she was trilled about Luke and Lorelai getting a baby. Why couldn't she just say that? Why was it so hard? She knew Lorelai was a lot like her, even though she hated to admit that, she knew Lorelai knew it too. Maybe that was the problem? Rory was a lot like Lorelai to, but in other ways. Thinking about Rory, she looked at her. Rory was staring at her. She didn't seemed angry anymore, just worried. Emily knew that she had to say anything, but was afraid to say the wrong thing again. Why would it matter if Lorelai got married. Of course, it was her dream to see her get married one day but it wasn't a must right? The only thing that really mattered is that see is happy. That's really the only thing important.

"Maybe I should call your mother."

"I don't think that would do any good right now grandma. Just let her cool down for a couple of days and try talking to her than."

"You think?"

"She won't be reasonable now. Just give her some times."

"I screwed up big."

"Yeah you did, but it wasn't just your fault I guess."

"Really?"

"This goes back way long. It will take some time to fix this, but I think it will."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You know, maybe you should write her a letter. That way you don't force her and you can think about it clearly, so you don't say the wrong things."

"I didn't meant what I said. I am happy for her. It's just... I couldn't say it, somehow."

"I know, I really do."

Lorelai kept silent the entire way home. She wanted to say something but she just couldn't. She still felt angry although it wasn't just at her mother, but at herself too. She was thinking about what happened. Was there any way she could have prevented this? Why hadn't she just kept quiet like she always does. In a way, she knows that her mother probably hadn't meant it this way. Maybe it was even partially her fault. But she was angry with her mother.

Luke watched her on occasion, but she didn't even noticed. She was staring out of the window, lost in her thoughts. He knew she needed this time for herself, and he knew that she would talk to him when she was ready. All he could do right now was take her home and be there for her.

Lorelai was about to put the key in the lock when she stopped. All the sudden she was scared. What if her mother left a message on her answering machine. She couldn't handle that right now. Luke looked at her.

"You okay?"

"I don't think I can go in here Luke."

He took the keys from her and opened the door. After that he took her hand in his. "Come on. You don't have to go in alone"

She doubted for a second but followed him in after that. She walked over to the kitchen, avoiding the answering machine. Luke followed her. After she let go of his hand she walked to the cabinet where the coffee is. Taking it out, she started filling the coffeemaker. Luke noticed this and said: "Lorelai, stop."

"What?"

"You can't drink that."

"It's just coffee Luke."

"I know that, but you took the regular stuff. You can't have that now and you know it." Inwardly he cursed himself for not having it thrown away already."

"Oh come on Luke. I need coffee."

"There's de-café."

"I don't want that. I just want one cup of coffee, that's all I'm asking for."

"No." With that, he took the coffee back she just filled out of the coffeemaker and dropped it in the trash can."

"Luke, stop it." She took another one from the cabinet and started filling it again, but he stopped her.

"No." He pulled the coffee out of her hand and threw it in de trash can.

"Luke." She was really angry now. "Don't do this to me, come on."

"You want de-café?" He took the de-café out of the cabinet and started filling the coffeemaker. Lorelai didn't liked this, and started pushing him away.

"Don't do this Lorelai."

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" He walked closer to her but she pushed him away again.

"Lorelai." His voice was soft. While she stood just in front of him she started punching him on his chest. Luke didn't walked away. He let her punch him for a few seconds and when she started loosing her anger he pulled her towards him, holding her tight against his chest. With that she started crying. He didn't said a word, he just kept holding her.

When she finally calmed down she just remained in his arms, standing in her kitchen until her legs became sore from standing. She wanted to sit down and talk. She pulled back and looked at him. He used his thumbs to brush away her tears. After that she took his hands and started walking towards the living room. She was relieved to see that there where no messages on her answering machine. She sat down on the couch and he sat down next to her.

"Why did I do that?"

"Do what?" He asked gentle.

"Why didn't I just kept still like I always do. I know my mother. I know the way she reacts to stuff and I know her words don't come out the way she means them. It's just..., I was so angry. All I wanted was her to be happy for me. That's the only thing I wanted Luke. I know she said it but you heard the tone in her voice right. Like she didn't meant it. Just like she wasn't approving this. And the assumption that I didn't told her right away. She doesn't trust me Luke. Somehow she never does. I know I screwed up as a kid but I'm an adult know right? We have a stable relationship. You're the first guy I dated for this long and I'm not planning on leaving you any time soon, our ever for that matter. We're not married but so what? You love me, I love you, we're getting a baby what's the problem? Did I screwed up anything here? Did I screwed up because I got pregnant even though we haven't discussed this. Maybe, but I like this. I'm happy about this. Why can't she be happy about this? And what about Rory? Rory is the best kid in the world. She graduated best of her class from Chilton. She was admitted at the 3 best college's of the country. She's doing great at Yale. She's admitted in that study program in London. I'd say I did a pretty good job there, didn't I? Did I screwed up with my daughter? And the dragonfly. We're running for almost a year now and already we're in the top 25 list of inn's in the country. So did I screwed up there? Tell me Luke, did I screwed up everything in my life? Isn't there a single in my life where my mother can say "look that's my daughter." Isn't there something I did right?"

She looked at him, her eyes asking him to say something, anything.

"You haven't screwed up anything Lorelai. You've done many great things in your life. With Rory and the inn and all. You're the most amazing woman I ever met."

"Than why can't my mother see that?"

"I don't know Lorelai. Maybe she does see it but she's afraid to tell you. I don't know."

Lorelai thought about that for a while. "I think....." She doubted for a while. Could she say out loud what she was just thinking?

He noticed that. "You can tell me."

"I think that maybe my mother looks a lot like me."

He expected her to continue, to explain what she was thinking but she didn't. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know how long I've been in love with you before we finally kissed? I don't think I even remember the first time I realized that I was in love with you. It's such a long time ago. I never told you how I felt because I was afraid. Afraid to admit my feelings and afraid to loose you." While she explained this she couldn't look him in the eyes, so she turned her head down.

He lifted her head gently, so she faced him again. "I know that because I did the same thing."

Lorelai continued: "She kept me away when I was a child. It made me independent. I wasn't like her. She wanted the glamour and all. I didn't. I... I just wanted her to take me to bed and read me a story, like every mother did. I wanted her to take me shopping, buy me some ice cream. But she always had staff members who did the shopping. I wanted her to tell me that she loves me. I want her to tell me that."

"I think she does."

"I know that. But I just want to hear it. Lorelai I love you. And than I say, I love you to mom. How hard can that be? Why is this family so screwed up so we can't say that? I can tell you I love you and I can tell Rory, but why can't I tell my mother."

"Why don't you just tell her now?"

"How can I do that? I messed up tonight. She will never look at me again."

"Yes she will."

"Oh come on, she didn't even called me. She always calls."

"I think that she's just giving you some time."

"I don't know Luke. I don't know."

"It will be better. This will work out. I promise you that."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. She loves you, even though she can't say it, she loves you very much and she can't be without you. Not anymore. I know that for sure."

"Really?"

"Yes, I know. I really do."


	7. Will things get better?

**Chapter 7: Will things get better?**

Lorelai didn't slept well that night. She kept thinking about the events of the day before. After she went out of bed for the fourth time, she decided to stay out. She was afraid to wake up Luke if she kept turning around in bed, not being able to fall asleep. She stepped out of bed, carefully not to wake Luke. She took a blanket with her and sat down in the chair in her bedroom. She sat there and watched Luke sleep. She knew he needed his sleep. He was up early all the time but he compensated that by going to bed early at least a couple of days a week, because otherwise he would be grumpy all the time. People knew him like that but they didn't knew him the way she did. If you really got to know Luke you would know that he was the most caring man there was on earth. She didn't knew anybody who could be more worried than he was. The grumpy part was just the outside, not the inside. He had trouble letting people in, but if you are in he would never let you out again.

When they first started dating it had taking her a while to learn to know him. The real him. She knew him, but there where a lot of things she didn't knew about him. And there still are parts about him she doesn't know yet, but that's keeping things interesting. He is also one of the few people that really knew her. Besides Rory she isn't even sure if there is anyone that really know her. Maybe Sookie. Yes, probably Sookie. But nobody else. Not even her mother. She placed her hand on her abdomen. She was wondering what the baby would be like. What parts of her would she be able to see back in this child and what parts of Luke. She thought this was very interesting. This wasn't a thing she thought about when she got Rory even though Rory turned out to be a lot like her. Of course that was partially because she raised her by herself so she was the only example set for Rory. But many things in her character where the same as hears to. She was independent, she would do anything to reach her goals in live and there where many other things. She wondered what Luke was like as a kid. What would he have looked like? She decided to ask him for baby pictures when he was awake. She really wanted to see them. He had told her things about his youth but he never showed her pictures. She wondered if it was to hard for him.

She looked at him, he looked so pretty when he was asleep. She noticed the smile on his face and wondered where he was dreaming about. Maybe about her, maybe about the baby. She smiled and remained watching Luke and kept thinking about there child. It helped her from keeping her mind of the things that happened with her mother.

Luke woke up at 4.45 a.m. He turned on his side and placed his arm on the spot next to him only to find a cold sheet. He opened his eyes in confusion and sat up. He turned around to search the place and smiled when he saw her, sleeping in the chair with a smile on her face. His smile faded when he started wondering why she was in the chair in stead of in bed next to him. He doubted what to do next. He could wake her up because the chair probably wasn't comfortable at all but he wasn't sure to wake her. He knew she didn't slept well at all. She had fallen asleep in his arms early but she was turning around in bed most of the night. She had been very restless. Besides it was still very early at Saturday morning. Maybe he could lift her over to the bed. But what if she woke up? Still, she didn't looked to comfortable, even with the smile on her face. He walked to her and picked her up and lifted her over to the bed. She didn't even respond. He watched her sleep for a while before he walked out of the room to take a shower. He has to open the diner soon.

It was 7.30 when Lorelai arrived at the diner. Luke smiled when he saw her walking in. While she walked over to the counter he turned around to get her some coffee, knowing she would ask for it anyway. (de-café of course) She sat down at the counter. He handed her the coffee and leaned in to kiss her.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"You're awake early on a Saturday."

"Yeah, well, you know," she whispered, making sure nobody heard her, "our baby doesn't like the sleeping in part so much, I guess."

"Morning sickness still bad huh?"

"Yeah, well, I woke up about an hour ago so actually it's improving."

He took her hand in his and squeezed it just to let her know he was there for her. She smiled slightly when he did this.

"Hey Luke, do you know how I ended up back in bed?"

"I think I do." He smiled as he continued, "I caught you sleeping in the chair and you didn't looked to comfortable so I picked you up and carried you to the bed."

"You did huh."

"Yeah. You didn't slept well did you?"

"Not really. I was awake most of the night and I got out so I wouldn't wake you up. I didn't felt like going downstairs so I spend half the night sitting in that chair, looking at you, thinking about all sort of things."

"You could have woken me up you know."

"You need your sleep."

"Yeah well, so do you. Just promise me you wake me up the next time okay?"

"I'll see."

"Lorelai."

"Okay, I promise."

"Good."

He leaned over to kiss her again. After that he asked: "What are you doing today?"

"I was actually thinking about going to Hartford, to talk to my mother."

"You want me to come with you?"

"No that's not necessary. I have to do this by myself. I think we need to have this conversation in private, just the two of us."

"I can come with you, and just let you talk in a different room, just so you know I'm there."

"That's very sweet of you, but I have to do this myself. What happened is not your fault so you don't have to fix this. I promise that I'll come back here afterwards just to talk. And if there is anything I need from you before I'll call you."

"You promise?"

"Yes I promise."

"Good. So, do you want to try and have something for breakfast today?"

"I'm not sure, doctor Elder told me to try and have breakfast but I don't know."

"I'd be more comfortable if you tried, you can blame me if it goes wrong."

"I would do that anyway."

"I'm sure you will."

She smiled and considered. "Well, you can bring me some pancakes than, but remember, your responsibility."

He responded by kissing her again. Than he turned around to make her the breakfast she asked for.

Lorelai arrived at her mothers place at 9.45 a.m. She had been able to keep the breakfast in that morning so she thought that maybe doctor Elder was right. Luke hadn't told her I told you so, which was very sweet of him. She staid in the diner for a while, to watch Luke while he was working and to talk when he had the time till she finally found enough courage to go. Luke had asked her once more if he had to come, but again she refused. This was something she had to do by herself..

Emily was surprised to see Lorelai when she opened the front door. Not even after last night, but at this hour on a Saturday morning.

"Lorelai?"

"Hi mom"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping we could talk."

Emily nodded. "I'd like that. I wanted to call you yesterday but Rory told me it was better to leave you alone for a while and gave me the advise to write you a letter so I was doing that."

"That's sweet mom. So, I can come in?"

That's when Emily noticed that Lorelai was still standing outside. "Of course, please come in." Lorelai followed her mother into the living room. "Do you want something to drink?

"Well, some coffee would be nice."

"You can't have any coffee when your pregnant."

"Oh come on, now you sound just like Luke."

"Well, he's right. Anything else you want?"

"Don't you have de-café?"

"Well, that might do it. I think we have it. I just have to ask Claudia."

"Who's Claudia?"

"The maid."

"Oh, of course."

"What Lorelai?"

"Nothing mom, really."

Emily looked at her daughter. She decided to let it go because starting another fight wouldn't do any good. She wanted to fix the relationship with her daughter so she walked into the kitchen to get the coffee.

She came back with two cups of coffee 8 minutes after. Lorelai was sitting on the couch, playing with her cell phone. Emily placed the coffee cups on the table and sat down next to Lorelai. They looked at each other for a while. Both not knowing where to start. After a while, Lorelai started.

"Mom, I'm so sorry."

"Me too, Lorelai."

"I, I overreacted. I've thought about this all night and discussed it with Luke and I think I was wrong. You..."

"I think we where both wrong. I have a feeling this wasn't just about what happened last night. This goes back way longer."

"I know. It's just... I know you disapprove many things in my life. But yesterday, all I wanted you was to tell me I did something right. I know Luke and I haven't planned to have this baby but we both love each other a lot, and even though we don't live together officially, we spend most of nights in my place and some of the nights at his place, but always together. I can't remember the last time I spend a night all by myself."

"I don't disapprove your life Lorelai. I'm very proud at you. You raised Rory all by yourself since you where 16. She turned out to be this amazing young woman. You've been independent since you where a very little girl. I know that's partially my fault but it's also part of your character. I've cried for days when you left with Rory. I thought that you having her would finally bring us together but it took us apart even more. I understand why you had to leave, I was just disappointed. You shut me out of your life back than and you still do that. When you married Max, when you dated Jason, I just assumed that..."

"I understand. I think I waited with telling you those things because I knew that they where not right. And I know this is. My relationship with Luke is different than the once I had before. With him I know it is right. I've been in love with Luke for a long time. It took me years to admit that. I was afraid. Afraid to screw up and loose him. He was and is the only man in my life who I can trust to always be there for me. When I realized that there was a change that I was pregnant I was afraid, but more afraid that I wasn't than that I was. I was afraid to tell Luke and Rory and you, but I was happy about this."

"I know that. And I'm happy too. I really mean that. I know that didn't came out right yesterday. I don't know what happened but I wanted to tell you how happy I am for you. I know how much you love Luke and how much he loves you. I know how happy you are. And the baby is a good thing, for the both of you."

"Thanks mom."

"Lorelai?"

"Yes.?"

"You know that you look like me right?"

"What?"

"You look a lot like me. I know we're both afraid to admit this but you do. Rory looks a lot like you too, but in a different way. Anyway, I made so many mistakes while I raised you. I never told you what you wanted to hear. But I want to tell you know. I love you Lorelai. I know that I should say that more often. I love you very much Lorelai."

"I love you to mom."

Emily smiled at her daughter. Than she moved towards her and took her daughter in an embrace. She whispered: "I'm very proud at you Lorelai. I know I said that you screwed up your life but you haven't. I never meant it. You made the right choices with the man in your life, even though I didn't realized that back than I do know. And the Dragonfly. I'm so proud at the way you run your own business."

"Thanks mom."

Emily just held Lorelai close for a while and finally let go. She looked at Lorelai when she continued. "Promise me that you won't shut me out of your life again."

"I promise mom."

"We can make this work right?"

"I think so. If we both keep talking."

"So we just have to do that, right?"

"Yes I think so." Lorelai smiled.

When Lorelai drove home at the end of the day she was feeling very well. She was glad that she spend the day with her mother. A lot of their problems where solved. Of course, it would take time before all the pain from the past years would be gone, but this was a big step into the right direction. She could move on with her live now. Stop looking back to the past. Luke had helped her a lot the past year and this was the last thing she needed to look in the future further than only a few months. She was no longer afraid for getting hurt and knew that some day, probably sooner rather than later her life would be close to perfect.


	8. The summer's flying by

**Chapter 8: The summer's flying by**

It was a great summer with some really nice events. First there was the Luke and Lorelai's anniversary. Luke took her away for the entire weekend. He rented a cabin at a silent but romantic place at a lake. It was a few hour drive but it was worth every minute of it. They enjoyed spending the time together in peace, without the rush of the diner or the Dragonfly. Saturday afternoon he even took her for a picnic, even thought he didn't officially liked them, he loved spending the time with her. And knowing that she loved it, made him love it too. They discussed moving in together. Unofficially they were already living together and with the baby it was time to make it official. They decided to move into Lorelai's house. Luke's apartment wasn't an option. It was to small for an entire family living there. Besides, Lorelai had a spare bedroom which was perfect for the baby. There where a lot of memories in the house and as the house was big enough for all of them it didn't make sense to buy another house. They discussed remodelling. Luke told her that it wasn't necessary but she wants to though. She wants him to feel at home. He told her he already did but that wasn't enough for her. Most of the things in the house where hers and Rory's and it was already her house so there had to come some things that where his. That was the way to make it their place instead of just hers.

After their anniversary there was the anniversary of the opening of the Dragonfly. There was a huge party with lots of quests. The place was booked for the entire weekend by friends and even Richard and Emily rented a room. They got a real room this time, not the one outside the building.

Rory spent the entire summer at home. She helped out in the Dragonfly as it was the busiest season of the year. She helped out with the remodelling of the house so Luke could y move in officially. Lorelai loved having Rory at home all the time. This summer was a lot better than last years with Rory at Europe and Luke in Maine. Thinking about that made her think about the year that was about to come. It would be an interesting year with the baby and all, but it would be a year without Rory. She couldn't even image what it would be like to spend an entire year without her daughter. They enjoyed the time they had together, even though there wasn't much time off. Luke understood that she had to spend a lot of time with her daughter, knowing he had her to himself after the summer. He thought that would be a good thing, but he knew it wasn't. He loved Rory a lot and knowing how he felt about Rory being gone for a year made him realize that he couldn't even understand how Lorelai must feel.

At the end of the summer Lorelai couldn't fit in her own clothes anymore. She loved the fact that she was starting the show, even though now she had to tell the town about the pregnancy. The morning sickness faded and the town took the news very well. They loved the thought of having a new town member. Even Taylor told Luke and Lorelai that he was happy with the news. That was a big step!

At the 31st of august Rory had packed all her stuff. She had a total of 3 suitcases which wasn't bad at all, considering she was leaving for an entire school year. She packed most of her clothes, the books that where most important to her and the things that she couldn't live without. Pictures of Lorelai, Luke, her grandparents, most of her friends and even of her father, his wife and her little sister. _(A/N I know that Sherry left Christopher but I don't like the thought of what could happen because of that. I know that Luke and Lorelai are meant for each other but if Sherry stays with Christopher we'll know for sure that there won't be any problems_) Lorelai had organized a farewell party for Rory at the diner. Everyone showed up to say goodbye to Rory. This is when Rory first realized the consequences of going to London. She realized how much she would miss everybody, her mother in particular. She enjoyed her party and tried to keep in all the emotions. She did a good job till everybody had left. Luke was cleaning up and Lorelai was helping him. She looked at her mother when tears filled her eyes.

"Mom."

Lorelai looked at her daughter and saw the sadness in her eyes. She walked towards her and took her in her arms. She hold her for a while before she finally spoke. "I'm going to miss you Rory."

"I can't go mom."

"Yes you can." She pulled back so that she could look Rory in the eyes. "You worked so hard to get in this program. You do want to go. I know it will be hard to be apart for a year but you will make friends there. You will have the best time of your life. And we're going to call every day and we'll write letters to each other. I'll write you the longest letters you've ever read. And there's email." With that she stood up and walked into the storeroom. She came back with a couple of presents wrapped in pink paper. "Here, Luke and I got you some presents."

She sat down next to her daughter and Luke took another chair.

Rory opened the first present. It was a web cam. "Mom?"

"I got one for myself too. If we're online at the same time and we turn on the web cam you we can see each other."

Rory smiled through her tears. "Thanks mom, it's a great present."

"Open this one now."

Rory took of the paper and was surprised to fine an expensive digital photo camera in there. "Mom, this is to much."

"Of course not. This way you can e-mail me the pictures you make. I could have given you a scanner but this is easier." Lorelai smiled at her daughter. "You deserve this Rory. I want to know everything you do in London. I expect you to make pictures of everything you do now."

"I promise I will."

"Good."

There was one more present left. It was a looked flat. Rory opened it and found a picture frame. She turned it around and found a black and white ultrasound picture.

Lorelai started to explain: "Luke and I saw how you packed pictures of everyone. So when we had the appointment at doctor Elders yesterday we asked if she could do an ultrasound. It was officially planned at the next appointment we have but we asked if she couldn't do one now. We explained that you where leaving and we wanted to give you a picture of the baby. So she made the ultrasound. It's to early to tell if it's a boy our a girl and we don't want to know anyway. Well, this is your little brother or sister so now you officially have a picture of everyone."

"Mom, that's amazing. She looked at the picture. "The baby looks so complete already. This is so cool. Wow, this is the best present I ever got." With that she stood up and hugged her mother. She kissed her mother and hold her tight. After that she walked to Luke and did the same thing again. "Thanks so much you guys."

Luke looked at Rory and told her: "We're really going to miss you Rory but I am so proud at you. I um.. I love you Rory."

"I love you too Luke" Rory's eyes filled with tears again. But this time they where happy tears. She knew everything would be okay. It would be a difficult year but at least her family would be there when she came back home. Thanks to e-mail and telephone they would be a lot closer to each other, even though she would be at another continent. It would be hard, of course it would be, but it would work out. And that's what is important. It will be very interesting.

Rory's plane was leaving the next day at 5 p.m. Luke and Lorelai took Rory to the airport in New York City. They left early enough to make sure that they would be at the airport in time. Rory was very enthusiastic on the way to the airport. Lorelai tried to show enthusiasm for her daughters sake but Luke noticed that this wasn't what she felt inside.

They arrived at the airport at 2 p.m. The check-in desk was already open so the first thing they did was checking Rory in so she could get rid of the suitcases. They gave her a great window seat. After she was checked in they had lunch. They ate in silent because they knew what would come next. They waited as long as possible but in the end they had to say goodbye. Rory's plane was leaving in an hour.

Lorelai looked at her daughter. "Promise me you take good care of yourself."

Rory nodded in respond.

"Promise me you call me every day and write me letters and e-mail and send me pictures and everything."

Again Rory just nodded in respond.

"Promise me you let me know everything you're doing there."

Nodding Rory said: "I will."

"Promise me you call me as soon as you get there."

Tears filled Rory's eyes as she answered. "As soon as I get there."

"Promise me you call me if there's anything, no matter what time."

"I promise."

"I'll miss you kiddo."

"I'll miss you to mom."

Lorelai couldn't hold in her own tears anymore. She took her daughter in her arms. She holder her tight for a few minutes till she pulled back. She took Rory's head in her hands and kissed her.

"I love you."

"I love you to mom."

They kissed again. Than Rory turned to Luke. "I'll miss you too."

"I know, and I'll miss you."

"Take good care of my mother."

"I will."

"I know you will." She hugged Luke and whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too Rory." He kissed her forehead. When she looked at him she could see that he had a few tears in his eyes. He let her go. Rory turned to her mother once more, giving her another hug. Than she turned around and walked away. After she walked a couple of feet she turned around once more. She saw how Luke had pulled an arm around Lorelai, her head resting on his shoulder. She waved while she whispered. "See you in June."

Lorelai waved back at her daughter. She waved till she couldn't see her daughter anymore. Than it hit her. Even though it's only September this is the last time she would see her daughter this year. She wouldn't see her again until June. She started crying. Luke noticed this and turned around so he could hold her. She cried while he hold her close, her head resting on his chest. They remained like that for minutes until she finally pulled back. She took his hand and with her other one she wiped the tears away. She started walking and whispered: "Let's go home."

_A/N That's it for now. Please tell me what you think than I'll keep writing!!_


	9. Realisation

_A/N Thanks again for the reviews. This is just one chapter for now. It was a busy week. I had a big test coming up so there wasn't much time for writing. I'm away for the weekend right now, visiting family, but I took my laptop with me and found a quiet place so I could write. I hope you like it and I'll try to update more soon!!!_

**Chapter 9: Realisation **

Luke woke up in the middle of the night. He was surprised when he noticed Lorelai wasn't there. He thought the days of morning sickness were over. Than he remembered that they had taken Rory to the airport that night. Checking the clock, he saw it was only 2 a.m. He walked out and checked the bathroom first, just to be sure. She wasn't there. He went down stairs. He turned on some lights. Lorelai wasn't in the living room. He checked the kitchen but she wasn't there either. He found her at the place he checked last. Rory's room. She sat there in the dark, staring before her. He sat down next to her, took her hand in his and asked: "Are you okay?"

She didn't responded so he asked again: "Are you okay?" Still no response: "Lorelai?"

"She's gone Luke." She looked at him. Her eyes where sad and almost begging him for telling her that she was coming back soon. But of course, he couldn't say that.

"I know."

"Why did I told her that it was okay. That I was cool with it, because I'm not. Look at this room Luke. Last year when she left for collage she called me after a few hours because she missed me. I missed her every day since, but at least there where the weekends. I saw her most of the weekends. I don't have them now. I won't see her again until June. She left this afternoon and I already miss her so much."

"I know."

"What was I thinking Luke?"

"What do you mean?

"Why did I let her go?"

"You knew it was the right thing for her."

"Yeah, well, I don't know that anymore."

"Yes you do. You know this is a one of a life time opportunity you told her yourself."

"Maybe I was lying?"

"No you where not."

"What am I going to do without her?"

"You'll see her again before you know it."

"I don't know."

"Well I do. Has she called already?"

"No, I woke up and realized that. I tried to go back to sleep but I just couldn't. I wandered around the house for a while and ended up here."

"Why didn't you woke me up?"

"I just needed some time alone I guess."

"Do you want to be alone now?"

"No." She looked at him, her eyes begging: "Will you just hold me for a while?"

He pulled her close. She leaned her head into his chest and he stroke her hair. She cried silently while he hold her. They don't know how long they remained like that till the phone rang. Lorelai looked up. "That's probably Rory."

Luke nodded and followed her into the living room. She picked up the phone and asked "Rory?"

"Mom?"

"Hey babe, you're there?"

"Yes I am."

"So how's London?"

"It seems very busy from what I've seen. But honestly I haven't seen much. Someone picked me up from the airport and took me to the university. I'm in my new room now. My roommates haven't arrived yet so for now I have the place to myself. They will come in the next few days. The introduction will start at the Thursday and the classes will start on Monday next week. I don't know my schedule yet, our anything for that matter. I decided to call you first. After unpacking I'm going to look around here. I'll get the information during introduction. You can also sign in for classes than."

"Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"I was thinking about getting some sleep but they advised me not to."

"Oh okay. So tell me, how was your flight?"

"Good actually. The plain left in time and we landed a little early. Almost no turbulence."

"Good, I'm glad to hear."

"Mom?"

"Yeah."

"Is it weird that I miss you already?"

"No sweety, I miss you too."

"What was I thinking mom?"

"What do you mean?"

"That I could do this."

"Do what?"

"Be away from you for over a year."

"You survived 2 years at Yale. I wasn't there."

"But I saw you in the weekends."

"I know, but at first that was hard too right?"

"Yes it was." Rory smiled when she thought about her first night at Yale. She had asked her mom to stay with her. "I wish you where her now."

"Well, just call me if you miss me, so we can talk."

"I will."

"Mom?"

"Mmm..."

"Where you sleeping just now?"

"No I wasn't."

"But it's like 2.30 in the morning in there."

"Yeah well, I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry mom."

"Don't be sorry honey. Luke's here."

"He's awake too?"

"Yeah, you want to talk to him?"

"Sure."

Lorelai turned around to face Luke. She handed him the receiver. "She wants to say hello."

"Hey Rory."

"Hey Luke."

"How was your flight?"

"Great, thanks."

"Good."

"Luke?"

"Yeah."

"You take good care of my mom right?"

"Of course I will."

"Good. Hey, you guys should get some sleep."

"We will. You should too."

"No, that wouldn't be good for my jetlag. Besides, I slept in the plane."

"Makes the time fly by right?"

"Yeah it does."

"Just know you can call us, always, no matter what time, okay?"

"I know, but thanks."

"Good. I'll let you talk to your mother again now."

"Okay, bye Luke."

"Bye Rory."

Lorelai was back on.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"You should get some sleep now."

"Yeah, you should get unpacked."

"Yeah, I should."

"Hey do you have a phone number where I can reach you?"

"Not yet, but I'm supposed to get one later."

"So call me and let me know okay."

"Of course."

"Good."

"So I guess we talk again later huh."

"Yeah. You can reach me at the inn till 6, expect lunchtime, you can try Luke's than. If I'm not at the house after 6 you can reach me at Luke's as well."

"I figured."

"Bye sweety."

"Goodnight mom." With that Rory hang up. Lorelai kept staring at the phone for a while, before hanging up herself. Luke walked up behind her and pulled his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him. She loved the feeling of his strong arms around her. It make her feel safe. They stood there for a while until Luke let her go. He placed his hand on her shoulder and directed her towards the stairs. "Let's try to get some more sleep. We have to be up in a couple of hours."

Lorelai nodded and walked up the stairs towards their bedroom. In there she laid down, resting her head on his shoulder, his arm around hers. Lorelai felt a lot better now she knew Rory arrived safe, so the sleep kicked in soon.


	10. Big winter plans

**Chapter 10: Big winter plans**

Lorelai realized that being without Rory was a lot harder than she could have thought. She knew how hard it was when she left for Yale, but this was at least a hundred times worst. They called occasionally, but the time difference made it more difficult. Lorelai had told her that it was okay to call at any time, even when it was in the middle of the night, but of course, Rory didn't, not when there wasn't an emergency. The best way of communication was by email. They mailed each other at least once a day, more than once if possible.   
Lorelai was glad that Luke lived with her now. The house was very empty without Rory. Even more empty than last year. She remembered the first day she came home after she brought Rory of at Yale. That's when she realized how big the house was. Even though it wasn't that big, it seemed like a huge castle. It was so quiet. It had taken her a lot of time to adjust. It wasn't until she started dating Luke that she actually liked having the place for herself some times. They made agreements about Rory not coming in unannounced. But right now Lorelai would be more than happy if Rory just walked in, but she knew that wouldn't happen. So there where the emails and sending pictures and the occasional phone calls. And if they where lucky they where online at the same time and they could talk through the web cam and actually see each other. Lorelai thought it was a nice way to see her daughter, even though she was miles and miles away. She noticed how happy Rory seemed and that made it easier, even though it was just a little bit.   
She was feeling more sad when she realized that the holidays where coming up. No matter how much time they spent away from each other before, there where always the holidays. She couldn't even imagine what Christmas would be like without Rory. This could be the first year that her favourite part of the year wouldn't be that great...

What she didn't knew is that Luke was planning some things to make her winter a lot better. He know how she felt about the winter that was approaching and he didn't liked it at all. There are only a few things she really loves in her life, she can't live without. The first thing is Rory, the second thing is coffee and the third thing is snow. He didn't knew exactly where he was in that list, but he hoped somewhere before the coffee. She always said that all good things happened when it snowed. He knew that she thought that without Rory that couldn't happen this winter. So she didn't even wanted it to snow. He wanted to change that for her. To show her that good things can happen all the time, no matter how far apart you are from the people you love most. 

It was a nice quiet afternoon at the end of November when Luke went up to his old apartment to make a phone call. Some of his stuff was still there. He couldn't take everything with him when he moved in with Lorelai. So they left it there. The plan was to redecorate the place and than rent it to someone else. But he didn't had the hart to do that yet. Even though the place was small he loved living there a lot. Many good things had happened there. His first night with Lorelai for example. He used the place as an office now. Or he came up here when he wanted some time for himself, just like now.

He picked up the phone and dialled the number. While waiting for her to pick up he checked his watch. It was a little after 2 ó clock. The phone rang 4 times till she picked up. "Hello?"

"Rory?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, this is Luke."

"Oh, hi Luke. How are you?"

"Fine, how are you?"

"Great. So how is mom?"

"Well, you know, still the same."

"What do you mean?" Rory sounded worried.

"Notting to worry about, she just misses you."

"I miss her too."

"I know."

"So, what's up?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something." Luke sounded nervous.

"What?"

"Well you know. With the winter coming up, especially the holidays, your mother misses you even more. And I..." He thought for a moment before continuing. "I was just thinking that maybe if I could do something really special for her, she would be more happy you know."

"Mm... yeah.."

"Well you know how much your mother loves the winter right?"

"Yeah, what's not to know right." Rory smiled, but wondered where he was going.

"It's only like a month till it's Christmas right?"

"Yeah it is."

"So I was thinking..."

"What?? Rory prompted nicely.

"Rory, I would like to.. do you mind if..." Luke sounded really nervous now. "I would like to propose to your mother."

"Really?" Rory sounded happy now.

She sounded happy. She was sounding happy. She was okay with it, was she? "Are you okay with that?"

"Do you really have to ask Luke? It's great. My mom loves you a lot. You already live together and she's expecting your child. Of course I'm okay with that."

"Good." Luke smiled now to.

"Just promise me one thing."

"What's that."

"Don't have the wedding until I'm back."

"I think we can do that. I just want her to know that I'm there for here and that I'm not going anywhere."

"I think she knows."

"Yeah, well, just to make sure."

"Yeah."

"So, that was the first thing I wanted to ask you."

"There's more?"

"Yep. How do you feel about..............................."

After he hang up he went to the closet. He opened a drawer and found what he was looking for. He picked it up and put it in the pocket of his pants. After that he went back downstairs. There were only 3 quests, including Kirk. "Lane?"

"Yeah?"

"There is something else I have to do. Do you mind if I leave for a while?"

"No, not at all."

"Good. I'll make sure to be back before dinner time."

"Yeah, okay."

With that Luke left. First he drove to their house to change in something a little more formal.. He was glad Lorelai was at the inn so she wouldn't get suspicious. He picked some black pants and a dark blue shirt. After changing he went into the bathroom to fix his hair. He placed his regular clothes in a plastic back so he doesn't has to come back here to change again. He picked what he had put in his pocket early and replaced it the pocket of his new pants. And with that he left.

He drove to Hartford. He was kind of nervous. Maybe even more nervous that when he called Rory. Because he knew she was okay with it. But what would they say? He remembered how angry they where when Lorelai told them about the baby. But everything had changed after that. Emily was actually getting along with Lorelai. And with the baby they would probably be very glad that he wants to marry her, but it still made him nervous. When he entered their street he started thinking. Maybe they aren't even at home. It's the middle of the day. Richard is probably working. He parked his truck on the drive way and got out. After he rang the bell, a maid opened the door. Surprisingly enough, it was the same one there was the week before.

"Hello, I'm Luke."

"Yes I remember. You're dating Mrs. Gilmore's daughter if I'm correct."

"Yes. Is she in?"

"Mrs. Gilmore's daughter?"

"No Mrs. Gilmore.

"Yes, she is?"

"And Mr. Gilmore?"

"He's there to. He's working home today."

"Okay."

"You can follow me." Luke followed the maid into the living room. Emily sad on the couch, reading a book. "Mrs. Gilmore. There's someone here to see you."

Emily looked up. "Oh, hello Luke."

"Hello Emily."

"What brings you here?"   
"I wanted to talk to you and Richard about something."

"Okay. Christine, offer Luke here something to drink and get Mr. Gilmore for me please."

"Yes ma'm. Sir, do you want something to drink?"

"Some tea would be nice, please."

"Yes sir. Do you want something to drink yourself ma'm?"

"You can bring me some tea as well."

"Yes ma'm." Christine left.

"You can take a seat Luke."

"Oh yes, of course." He didn't even noticed that he was still standing. Luke sat down and played with his fingers nervously, waiting for Richard. Emily studied the man her daughter was in love with. She noticed that he was acting different than usual and wondered what brought him here. He and Lorelai came to the occasional Friday night dinners, but neither one of them came her unannounced at different days.

Richard entered the living room 5 minutes later, Christine following with the drinks. Richard shook Luke's hand. "Hello Luke."

"Hello Richard."

Richard sat down next to his wife, asking: "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay."

Luke waited till Christine left the room, before he continued: "Well, as you know Lorelai and I have been together for over a year now..." Luke sounded very nervous. "With the baby coming in a few months I think that it's time for me to," his hand slid in the pocket of his pants and he picked out the box he pulled in earlier, "if you are okay with it I would like to propose to Lorelai."

He handed the box to Emily. She opened it and was surprised. "Wow, Luke, that's an beautiful ring."

"It was my mothers. My father gave it to me before he died. He told me to give it to a very special woman one day. I'm taking it to the jeweller later to fix the size. My mother had bigger fingers than Lorelai has. I just wanted to show it to you first."

"That's really kind of you Luke."

Even Richard was impressed. "You came to us, before you asked Lorelai?"

"Yes. With everything that happened before I thought, well I just would like to have your permission."

"I know that we had our differences but I really appreciate it that you came here to ask for my approval. And yes you can marry our daughter." Richard looked at Emily.

"Yes, you are very welcome in our family."

"Thank you."

"When are you going to ask her?"

"I was thinking Christmas eve. But it depends what happens. It may be sooner. Rory and I discussed it earlier and we talked about some great ideas."

"You talked to Rory as well?"

"Yes of course. I had to know how she felt about this as well."

"That's very generous of you."

Luke stopped by the mall on his way home. He hates malls but he had a good reason to go this time. He'd do anything for Lorelai. He was glad that everyone was okay with his plans. When he arrived at the diner it was 5 ó clock. He was surprised to see Lorelai in there. He hadn't expected her to be there. He looked at her to see if it was time to go back home to change first, but she already saw him, so he walked in.

She was sitting at the counter. He walked towards her and kissed her. "Hey, your off early."

"Sookie told me to go."

"Everything okay?"

"I was just tired. Most of my work was done anyway so."

"Okay."

"So, where have you been."

"Business meeting."

"You didn't mentioned you had one."

"No, I forgot about it," he lied.

"Oh."

"Yes, sorry. I had to drive all the way to Hartford." He decided to tell as much of the truth as possible.

"Lane didn't told me you had a business meeting, she said you just left all the sudden."

Luke thought about a proper reply. There was no way he could tell her the truth. "So, you want to go out for dinner?"

"Don't change the subject."

It was worth trying. "Look, I just forgot about the meeting. I was upstairs running trough the books and than I suddenly realized. I had to leave real fast because I was already late. I had to go home and change so I didn't had the time to explain where I was going to Lane."

"Oh..." She didn't knew if he was telling her the truth.

He kissed her. "Don't worry, I would tell you if something was up, okay?"

"Really?"

"Of course. So, do you want to go out for dinner, I'm in my good clothes already."

She smiled. "You look very pretty." She leaned in to kiss him once more. "Can we just go home and have dinner there? I don't really feel like going out."

"Sure, we'll do whatever you want. Why don't you go home already, take a bath and just relax for a while. Than I stay and help Lane in here for a while. I'll come home around seven and bring us some dinner."

"I think I like that plan. I'm exhausted and a bath does sound great. So I'll see you at seven right?"

"It's a date. He smiled. She kissed him one more time, before she stood up and left.


	11. Midnight walk

_A/N Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a very busy week and even last weekend was spent with school stuff. I've just finished watching the latest Gilmore Girls episode. That's when I decided it was time to sit down on the couch with my laptop and start writing.   
__Thanks so much for all the reviews and hope you like my new chapter._

**Chapter 11: Midnight walk**

It was an early December night. Luke woke up, sleeping on his left side. He slowly opened his eyes. Moonlight filled the room. He stared at the window for a while and noticed it was snowing. The first snow of the season. Normally he probably hadn't even noticed, but he knew how much she loved that. That it was very special for her. He turned to his other side and saw Lorelai was sleeping peacefully. He couldn't help but smiled. After a while he moved closer to her, kissing her softly. She shifted. After he kissed her again she opened her eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi."

'What's wrong?"

"Notting's wrong."

"Then why do you wake me?"

"I want to take you outside." 

"Why?"

"Come on."

"No, let me sleep."

"It's snowing."

"So?"

"You love snow."

She was fully awake now. "Not this year."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Lorelai?"

"It's just... It's something I share with Rory. We take a walk during the first snow of the season. At least we try it to be the first time of the season. It means nothing without her."

"Don't say that. You love the snow."

"No I don't."

Luke thought for a while. Maybe he was wrong to wake her up. But he knew that she'd been acting weird since Rory left. She was grumpy while he was the one that was supposed to be the grumpy one. He wanted her to know that things could be fun even without Rory. Things could be special without Rory. He wanted the real Lorelai back. He loved her no matter what. In good moods and in bad once. But he saw way to much bad moods these days. That just wasn't her.

"Please, it means a lot to me if you'll come with me."

"But I want to sleep."

"Please?" He looked at her. His eyes where begging her. "Please?"

"Fine." She stood up and changed into some warms clothes. Luke did the same thing. After that Lorelai followed Luke downstairs. She wished that he hadn't woken her up. It didn't meant anything without Rory. Nothing was as much fun these days. She loved Luke and she loved living with him but she missed her daughter so badly. She couldn't believe it would be 6 more months before she saw her again. She knew Luke meant it well. The only reason she came was because of him. She didn't wanted to let him down. 

Luke opened the door. She doubted a few seconds before stepping out side, closing the door behind her. He reached for her hand. She took his and they started walking in silence.   
He watched her. She still wasn't smiling. What did he had to do to make her smile again? He felt the little box in the pocket of his coat. He thought that maybe it was time. But on the other hand he knew wanted to stick with the original plan. After a while he realized how cold it was. He knew that he didn't loved the winter the way she did. The only part about winter that he loved was the fact that she loved it. He loved the way it made her feel. How her smile usually grew bigger when it snowed. He missed that so much now. He missed her smile.   
He put his arms around her shoulder, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder. She had to admit that it felt nice. Maybe even more than nice. She smiled. Just a small one, but it was a smile. He looked down and saw it. He started smiling to. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea. Maybe this walk could have the effect he wanted it to have.

"Luke?"

"Mm...."

"This feels good."

"I know." His smile went bigger.

After that they just kept walking in silence. Lorelai started to enjoy the walk more every second. For the first time within months she realised that she could have fun without Rory. She decided that it was time to go on with her life. She knew missing Rory was okay but she knew something had to change. She thought about the things she had at the moment and knew that it was a lot. Luke had been so patient with her the past few moths.   
They walked towards the lake, stopping in front of it. They watched the snow fall on the water. The reflection of the moon made it very romantic.

"Luke?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking me here."

He looked at her. "It's nice isn't it?"

"Yes it is." She paused for a few seconds before she said: "I'm sorry."

He looked confused "For what?"

"For the way I've been acting lately."

"You don't have to apologize about that. I understand how you feel."

"But Luke, I have to apologize. I've been acting cranky since the day Rory left. You're trying so hard but all I do is giving you a hard time about it. Inside me I was even angry that you asked me to come out here. It was something she and I shared every year since she was born. I was absolutely sure that it couldn't be special without her. But you know what? I was wrong Luke. It is special. Maybe even more special than the previous years because this year I'm sharing it with you..."

"It's..."

"Wait, let me finish. I have to get this out."

He just nodded.

"The day I found out I was pregnant I was scarred to tell everyone but I was so happy. Just the thought of carrying your child was so amazing. I can carry a part of you inside me for 9 months and it will grow into a little human. I can't even think what it will be like to hold our child for the first time. And the summer was great. We spend it as a family and I loved it. I just, I forgot that after the summer Rory had to go away. A part of our family. A part of me. I've never been without her for so long. I was so sad and even angry that I forgot about all the good things in my life. I know it is stupid because I have so many good things. Us living together. We getting a baby together. There is so much to be grateful for. I just, well I'm just sorry for the way I've been acting."

"Lorelai, don't be sorry. I know how much you love Rory. You've always been close. It was just the two of you for a very long time. I know how you felt when she went to college. It was the first time you had to let her go. She wasn't around all the time anymore. But you saw her at least once a week. And you don't have that now. And with Christmas and all, I understand."

"I'm glad you understand but you know, don't you think I overreacted?"

He thought to long before he replied. "LUKE!"

"I know you've been acting different lately. And I have to admit that sometimes I miss the happy Lorelai. The woman who walks into my diner and lightens the place up. Some of my customers accused me of giving my bad mood to you, or from switching body's with you."

It was supposed to be a joke but she didn't thought it was funny. She turned her face away, staring at the floor."

"Lorelai, it was a joke."

She looked back up. There where a few tears in her eyes. She whispered: "I don't think it was funny."

He stepped forwards, pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to make you feel better. Look, I know you're not yourself lately. But I..." He stopped as he suddenly felt very embarrassed.

"What?" She pulled back so she could look at him.

"I've been reading some books lately. About babies and about pregnancy and the books say that you react different with hormones and all."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh Luke, come on."

"I didn't meant it in a bad way. I just want you to be happy, that's all I ever wanted."

"I am happy now."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm here with the man I love. I'm carrying his child. What's not to be happy?"

"I can't think of something, really."

"Neither can I."

He leaned in to kiss her. After the kiss ended he whispered "I love you too."

They walked home. Not in silence this time. After the midnight walk in the first snow of the season everything changed. Lorelai went back to being herself. She was happy again. She started to enjoy her life as it was right now, even without Rory. She knew that this winter would be very special. She was even looking forward to Christmas, unaware of the plans Luke made.


	12. Decorations

**Chapter 12 Decorations**

It was 8 days before Christmas. Lorelai woke up from the sound of the door opening. It had been a very busy day at work and she had fallen asleep on the couch while she was watching tv. Luke had to work till 8 and they agreed on having dinner after that. Suddenly she heard a lot noise in the hallway. She sat up, turning so she could see what was going on. She smiled when she saw what Luke was doing. He brought home a Christmas tree. After a few seconds she decided to get up and see if he needed a hand.

"Hey Luke, need some help?"

"Oh hey." He looked at her. He managed to get the tree inside by himself at almost the same time. He went back to his truck to get their supper. She was watching the tree when he came back in. He stood next to her and asked: "So, what do you think?"

She looked at him. "It's perfect."

He smiled: "Really?"

"Absolutely. If I could choose from a hundred tree's this is the one I would pick."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She hugged him and kissed him. "Thank you."

"So, lets have dinner fist and get the tree in place after that?"

"Good idea, I'm starving."

"I bet you are."

She started walking towards the kitchen. "You want a beer?"

"Yes, please." He followed her into the kitchen. She took the drinks while he took the plates. "You want to eat in here?"

"Yeah sure," He set the plates on the table. She did the same thing with the drinks. After that he started to unpack the bags with their dinner. He brought her a cheeseburger and fries and a salad and a ham and cheese sandwich for himself. There was apple pie for desert.

She ate a few fries before she asked: "How was your day?"

"The diner was very busy. But it was slow for an hour or so in the afternoon. That gave me the time to get the tree. I placed it behind the diner for a while so you wouldn't notice. I wanted it to be a surprise." He smiled at her.

"It was a very nice surprise."

"Good." He took a bite of his sandwich. " So, how was your day?"

"Like hell." She sighed.

"Lorelai?" He asked worried.

"Just very busy. There was no time to slow down at all. It wasn't until 2.30 till I found some time to eat lunch. My back hurts from standing all day and I was so tired I fell asleep on the couch while watching tv."

"You should take it easy."

"I don't have time to take it easy. It's one of the busiest seasons of the year."

"You have to think about yourself first. And if you don't want to think about yourself, think about our child."

"Luke, I'm fine. I was just tired. I feel a lot better already. After I'll slow down after New Years okay?."

"Just promise me you'll listen to your body. If your body tells you to take it slow, you take it slow, no matter what okay?"

"I don't know if I can Luke."

"Lorelai." He looked her in the eyes. "You have to promise me."

"Fine, I promise, but only when my body tells me to."

"Okay."

After dinner Lorelai searched for the Christmas decorations while Luke got the tree in place. Lorelai once again had offered to help him, but he wouldn't hear about that. He was very protecting over her. Sometimes it drove her crazy, but she knew it was because he loved her so she sort of liked it too. He had the tree in place when she came back with a box of Christmas decorations.

"I just love the smell a Christmas tree brings along." She stand next to him, putting one arm around his waist.

He pulled her closer. Kissing the top of her hand. "Me too."

"You never even had a tree."

"Well, last year that was because I spent most of the time at your place anyway. I didn't needed one of my own."

"I still can't believe that." She had tried to get him a tree, but no matter what she tried he wouldn't give in.

"It's the truth. And from before that… I think that Christmas just wasn't so special for me before. But now all I want is to spend it with you."

"I'm glad." She turned a little so she could kiss him. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you have any Christmas decorations?"

"No."

"Not even from your parents. From when you where a kid?"

He thought for a while. "I think I have a box in my old apartment."

"Why don't you get it so we can use some of yours and some of mine?"

He thought for a while before he asked. "Would you do that?"

"Yeah of course. I want it to be our tree. It would mean a lot to me. The Christmas decorations I have, I collected them over the years. Rory and I added something every year. When she was younger it were things she made at school, later we went shopping to buy just one special thing. I think it's very special if we add some of your things this year."

"That's a nice thought. I think I like that."

"Good, if you go to the diner to get the stuff, I'll go trough this stuff and see what I have, try the lights and see if I have to untie them."

"Okay." He kissed her deeply. When he pulled apart he whispered "thank you."

She replied by kissing him again. After that she whispered "I love you."

"I love you too."

When Luke came back half an hour later she sorted out all the decorations and she was busy putting the lights in the tree. He helped her with it.

"I found one box. I have no idea what's in it. I haven't seen it in years."

"You never had any decorations in your apartment?" She still couldn't believe it

"No, not really."

"Wow… But you do like it now?"

"Yeah, it's different. Now I wouldn't do anything rather then spending Christmas with you. And everything that comes with it."

"Good."

After they finished the lights she said: "So, show me what's in your box."

He smiled when he took the items out the box. "I haven't seen these in years."

"Wow Luke, they are beautiful!" There where many Christmas balls in the box. They had to be at least forty years old, but most of them weren't even damaged.

He picked on up. "I forgot what they looked like."

"Well, they are really beautiful. I'm glad you picked them up."

"Yeah, me too. You know, my mother really loved Christmas. Just the way you love Christmas. I just, after she.. well, I just couldn't get myself to.."

She took his hand in hers. "I understand. But I'm glad you changed your mind."

He whispered "yeah, me too."

He looked at her stuff. He picked up on of her balls. "There's a story behind every thing you have?"

"Yeah. The one you've got there? Mia gave it to Rory the first Christmas we lived there." She pointed at some others. "She gave these to me." "And that one over there," she pointed, "Rory made it in kindergarten. Another one she bought for me when she was eight. She saved some money and went into the store all by herself. She was so proud." She smiled at the memory.

"Wow, that's really special. I never knew."

"I always thought it was a nice tradition. Rory loved it to. She just loves Christmas the way I do." Her smile faded when she thought about that. "I just can't believe that we're spending the Christmas apart."

He pulled her closer. "I know." He kissed her forehead and waited a few seconds before he said "Let's decorate the tree."

"Yeah, let's do that!"

They finished an hour later. They stood next to each other, watching the results of their work.

"Wow, this is one special tree."

"Yeah it is… thank you Luke."

"For what?"

"'For making Christmas special for me this year."

He didn't really knew what to say. After a while he said: "That's the only thing I want for Christmas. No, it's the only thing I ever want."

"What?"

"Seeing you happy."

"I'd like to see you happy too. I love it when you smile."

He replied by smiling.

"Just like that." She kissed him, feeling the smile during the kiss.

After a while he pulled back. "And now it's time to go to bed."

She wanted to protest but she suddenly felt how exhausted she was. "You're coming with me?"

"Yeah, you go upstairs, than I'll lock up."

"Okay, see you up there."

When Luke walked into their bedroom about 10 minutes later she was already asleep. He had expected that as he already took of his clothes in the bathroom. He slipped under the covers next to her. He kissed her forehead and whispered "I love you." Than he laid down on his side and put one arm around her. It didn't took long before sleep kicked in for him too.

_A/n. First I want to say that I'm sorry that it took a while before I updated, but honestly I finished this chapters about two days ago, but with the trouble the website had I wasn't able to upload at the time I wanted to. Second, I promise the next chapter will be what you've all been waiting for. I just felt like writing this one first. I already started writing it!! Oh, and I don't remember Luke having any Christmas decoration in his apartment of even seeing his apartment around Christmas, but if it had happened and I forgot about it, just think of this as the truth in my story._


	13. The perfect date

_A/n So here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for. I hope you like it!!_

Chapter 13 The perfect date 

Lorelai came home from work early that day. She had the entire evening and Christmas off. In exchange of that she had to work on New Year's eve. Luke had told her to meet her at the house and told her she couldn't come to the diner. She complained but he promised her that he would be there when she came home. She entered the house and called his name. No reply. Again she called but still no reply. She walked into the living room. He wasn't there. She tried the kitchen but he wasn't there either. "Luke?" She descend the stairs. She checked their bedroom first, but he wasn't there. After that she checked the bathroom and the nursery. He was nowhere to be found. Back downstairs she noticed that the light of the answering machine was flickering. She pressed the button and heard Luke's voice.

"Lorelai, as you probably already noticed I'm not home yet. I want you to go back upstairs. There's a box under our bed. I want you to put on what's in it. I'll be there to pick you up at 5.30. Oh, and don't call me because I won't tell you what I'm up to."

She decided to try anyway. He picked up after the second ring. "Luke's"

"Luke."

"Lorelai, I told you not to call."

"But Luke I..."

"No, just do what as you where told. I'll pick you up in 50 minutes."

"But…"

"Bye Lorelai." He hang up.

She stared at the phone. He hang up on her. She couldn't believe he hang up on her. Than she remembered that there was a surprise under their bed. She went straight to their bedroom. She looked under the bed and found a big, flat box. She pulled it out and laid it onto the bed. When she opened it she was more than surprised. Their was a dress. A beautiful dress. It was the kind of dress she was searching for weeks now, not being able to find it. She wondered how Luke found it.  
She took a quick shower. After that she tried on the dress. She was amazed how perfect her pregnant belly fit into the dress. It was like the dress was made especially for her. She dried her hair and found the perfect shoes matching the dress. She was just finished when the doorbell rang. She was confused when she saw it was Luke.

"Why do you ring the bell?" Than she noticed he was wearing a suit. "Wow, you look very pretty."

He watched her. His mouth fell open with amazement. "You look beautiful."

She kissed him "Thanks for the dress."

"You're welcome."

"I've been searching for a dress like this for weeks, how did you managed this?"

"That's my secret." He smiled at her.

"Luke!"

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, just have to put my coat on and get my purse."

"Okay."

When she sat next to him in the truck she asked "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Luke come on tell me."

"You know I won't."

"But..."

He turned his face to her and kissed her to shut her up. "You'll see, just be patient."

She decided to give up. She knew him well enough that he wouldn't give in anyway. She took the opportunity to tell him about her day at the inn. He listened to her talking while he drove to their destination. It took them about 45 minutes before they arrived. She looked around to see if anything looked familiar, but it didn't. He stepped out of his truck and walked to the other side to open the door for her. He took her hand and helped her out. He closed the door behind her, but held her hand in his as he did so.

When they entered the restaurant Lorelai was impressed by all the romance it showed. Luke let go of her hand and walk towards a waiter. He whispered something to him. Lorelai was still admiring the place so she didn't even noticed. Luke had to ask 2 times if she came till she realised he was talking to her. The waiter brought them towards a table. It was marked with a reservation sigh. It made her think about their first date. She thought that it seemed like an eternity ago, even though it wasn't even a year and a half. Everything had changed since than, but in a good way.

"This place is really special Luke."

"Even more special than you think." He smiled at her.

"Why?"

"This is the place where my father took my mother on their first date. It changed a lot since than, it wasn't this fancy, but the name and the location stayed the same."

"Wow." She was even more impressed now.

"Yeah."

"You know you can be very romantic sometimes?" She had a big smile on her face.

"I'm trying to once and a while." He leaned over the table to kiss her.

"I love you." She whispered when he pulled back.

"I love you too." He whispered back.

About than the waiter came. "Where you able to make a choice?"

Luke gave him a sign that he had to come closer. The waiter did and Luke whispered something in his ear. The waiter nodded and walked away.

"What did you tell him?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Well, yeah of course."

He shook his head in response.

"So, what have you been up to all day?" Lorelai decided to change the subject herself.

"You know, just the regular. The diner wasn't so busy today, everybody is making the final arrangements for Christmas and all. But it gave me some time to do other things."

"Like what?"

"Paperwork, that kind of stuff." It wasn't a total lie. He spend about half an hour doing paperwork in the morning.

"That's a nice day to spend your day."

"Yeah well, it has to be done."

"That's true."

"But let's not talk about work huh."

"Yeah your right, let's not."

The waiter came with a bottle that seemed to be champagne.

"Luke, you know I can't have that right?"

"This isn't the real stuff, just the apple juice with bubbles kind." The waiter left.

They talked about things different then work till the waiter came back with their food. They both had an empty plate. There where bowls filled with different sorts of meat, vegetables and potatoes. They ate and talked and ate till they both had enough.

"You want dessert?"

"Of course. Do you want dessert?" Lorelai smiled.

"Yeah."

"You ordered our drinks and our dinner which where both excellent choices whatsoever, but can I order dessert?"

"I think I can deal."

"Good." She made a sign to the waiter. "We would like to order desert."

"Okay, let me get the menu."

She stood up and whispered something to him. "I think we can do that."

"Good."

The waiter left.

"What did you ordered?"

"Ha, like I'm going to tell you mister."

He smiled at the face she made when she said it. "It was worth trying right?"

She stuck out her tongue in response.

"Lorelai please"

She leaned over the table and kissed him. "Sorry."

"Yeah right."

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah."

"What did I do to deserve this dinner?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well al this." She made a sign with her hands. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"I just want to spend Christmas with my girlfriend in a way I know she loves."

"But what did I do to deserve this?"

He thought about it for a while and answered "You fell in love with me."

"Good answerer." She leaned in to kiss him again.

"Thank you." Her head rested against his forehead.

"For what?"

"For loving me back." She kissed him again.

The waiter brought their desert about 10 minutes later. There was one big bowl of ice cream with firework in it, coming with two spoons. They gave each other bites of the ice cream. They laughed doing that.  
When they finished Luke went to pay the bill. He came back and helped her up and into her coat. He took her hand in his and leaded her outside. He opened the door of his truck to her, helping her in and closing the door again. He walked around and got in himself. When they drove home she rested her head against his shoulder, dozing off.

He woke her up by kissing her forehead when they where home. She opened her eyes and whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Come on, let's go inside."

She nodded.

They took of her coats. "Luke, do you want to go to bed?"

"No."

"Oh."

He took her hand and lead her towards the Christmas tree. They sat down together. He picked up one of the presents underneath it. "This is for you."

"Can I open my present already?"

"Just this one." He smiled.

She looked at the box. It was a big box wrapped in a Christmas paper. She lifted it towards her ear and moved it. She heard something move inside it.

"Just open it Lorelai."

And she did. She opened it and was surprised to find the box almost empty. Almost, there was a little box on the bottom. "What is this?"

He took the box from her and opened it. She whispered "Luke." She looked into his eyes.

"Lorelai, the first time I saw you I knew you where special. It wasn't hard to fall in love with you. I know it took me forever to find the courage to tell you but I did. And everything changed since that day. My life became almost perfect when we got together. And now there's only one thing to make it completely perfect and that is if you where my wife. Lorelai will you marry me?"

Her eyes where welled up with tears when she answered. "Yes, of course I want to marry you."

He slid the ring on her finger and kissed her deeply. He pulled back just enough so he could look in her eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She kissed him again.

"Hey Luke, do you mind if I call Rory to tell her?" She asked after a while.

"No of course not." He stood up and picked up the phone, dialling the number and handed her the phone.

She waited and than she picked up. "Hello."

"Rory?"

"Mom hey. How your doing."

"Pretty much perfect actually."

"Good."

"So, there's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah?"

"I'm getting married."

"Really?" Rory acted as if she didn't knew.

"Yeah. He gave me this big present but there was a small box in it. And in the box was a ring and well, he asked me if I wanted to be his wife. I'm going to marry Luke." She sounded so happy.

"Mom, that's great news!"

"I know." She waited for a while. "I wish you where here so you could see the ring."

"Yeah I know. I wish I was here to."

Luke whispered to her "It was my mothers."

"He gave me his mothers ring, and it's so pretty."

"Just send me a picture okay?"

"Yeah I will do that. Oh, what time is it there, it's probably a very weird time you have to go back asleep."

"Okay I will do that, You get some sleep yourself."

"I don't know about that." Lorelai smiled.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind. Let me talk to Luke for a while okay?"

"Okay. Bye hon."

"Bye mom."

Lorelai handed the phone to Luke. "Hey Rory."

"Congratulations Luke. I'm glad your plan worked out okay."

"Thanks, me too."

"So the date went just the way you planned it?"

"Yeah, it was really perfect."

"So, do you think we can do, you know what?"

"Wait, just let me check." He stood up and walked into the kitchen so they could talk in private for a while.

Lorelai looked confused. She had no idea what he was up to now. He came back after a minute or so. "Where did you go?"

"Rory asked me to check on something."

"In the kitchen?"

"Yeah, nothing important."

"But Luke…"

"Lorelai, do you trust me?"

"Yeah."

"So if there was something wrong, trust me that I'll tell you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He sat down behind her, so she could lean into his chest, his hands on her belly. He kissed her forehead.

She looked up at him and whispered: "We're getting married"

"I know" All he could do at the moment was smile.


	14. Another big surprise

_A/n Thanks again for all the reviews. It feels really good waking up in the morning, than to turn on the computer and check my e-mail and to read that you really like my story.  
__This chapter takes place where the last one left off._

**Chapter 14 Another big surprise **

Luke and Lorelai where still sitting in front of the tree. They where watching the lights and enjoying the feeling of their body's resting against each other. Luke's thumbs where moving little circles around her belly. Lorelai turned a little so she could see his face. He was smiling. He had a smile on his face she never saw before. Sure, se saw him smile many times, but not like this. She loved seeing him so happy and she knew that she was smiling the same way he did.

"Luke?"

"Yeah."

"You have any idea how happy I am at the moment?"

"I've got a feeling I do."

"Good, because I feel really happy."

"Me too."

She closed her eyes for a while. The feeling of his body against his became even more intense. It felt closer than it already did. After a few minutes she asked: "So the ring was your mothers?"

"Yeah, my father gave it to me before he died. He told me to give it to a very special woman one day. I kept it in my drawer for years and about a month ago I took it to the jeweller to have the size fixed. My mother's fingers where bigger fingers than yours."

"You planned this a months ago?"

"Yeah. I just wanted you to have a special Christmas this year."

"Thank you." She turned a little so she could kiss him. "I love you so much, you know that right?"

"Yeah I do. I love you to."

Lorelai rested against his chest again. Than she thought of something. "When are we going to tell my parents? What would they say?"

"Don't worry about that. We can tell them at dinner tomorrow."

"I don't want to ruin Christmas. You know how they reacted when we told them about the baby."

"And you also know what happened after that. Besides…."

"Besides what?" Again she turned so she could look at him.

"Besides they already know."

"What?!"

"Well, I wanted to do this the right way. So I showed them the ring and asked for their permission."

"You asked my parents if you could marry me?"

"Yeah, your parents and Rory."

"You told anybody but me?"

He smiled at her. "I know how to keep things a surprise."

"But you told anyone but me."

"I told you now, right?"

"Yeah you did. It's really sweet of you that you asked Rory. And very brave of you to ask my parents."

"So your not angry?"

"Why would I be angry. That's the sweetest thing anyone ever did for me." She kissed him again.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Lorelai looked at the clock, confused. "Who could that be?"

Luke started to stand up. "I'll get it."

Lorelai tried to get up herself, but that wasn't as easy as it used to be. Luke noticed and helped her up. "No, I'll go." She quickly kissed him before she walked into the hallway. When she opened the door she was surprised to see who was behind it.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Luke!" She screamed.

Luke stood behind her within seconds and smiled when he saw what was 'wrong'.

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes and she opened her arms. Rory dropped her bags and stepped into her mothers embrace. "God I missed you so much. I…" Her voice started to shake so she just stopped talking.

"I missed you too mom." Rory's eyes where filled with tears also.

Luke smiled as he saw the two woman standing there. Rory looked up at him and moved her mouth, saying 'thank you.' He just nodded.

After a few minutes he spoke "Let's go inside, it's freezing out here."

Lorelai nodded. She kept one arm around her daughter when they walked inside. They sat down on the couch. "When did you get here?"

"I arrived around 11 ó clock this morning. Luke picked me up from the airport."

"What?" She turned to face Luke.

"When I called her to ask her if she was okay with me proposing, I asked her how she felt to come home for Christmas."

"She's been here for hours and you didn't tell me?"

"No." He sounded a little proud

"I can't believe you didn't told me my daughter came home until hours after and you just hided her from me. Is this why I couldn't come to the diner?" She sounded angry.

"I…." He started to think that this maybe wasn't a good idea after all.

"Well?"

"Look, I just wanted to surprise you."

"I can't believe you did that. You know that for months I missed her and than you keep her away from me for hours."

"It wasn't meant like that."

"Yeah right." She screamed at him.

He didn't knew what to say anymore so he just turned around and walked upstairs. He was angry and sad at the same time. This wasn't supposed to go this way. He wanted her to be happy, not angry. He never wanted upset her. He slammed the door of their bedroom behind him and laid down on the bed.

Downstairs Lorelai started pacing around in the room. She was angry at Luke. How could he do that to her. She didn't even noticed Rory anymore till she heard her voice. "Mom."

Lorelai looked up. "I'm sorry hon." She walked back to the couch and sat down next to Rory.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Mom, you shouldn't be angry with him."

"Why not? He…." In her anger she couldn't find the right words.

"Mom, he planned this for over a month. He wanted this day to be perfect. He wanted to propose to you and bring me home so you could share it with me. He told me he wanted to ask you a lot sooner, but he didn't wanted you to feel like he did it for grandma. Because she was angry when you told her about the baby and you guys weren't married. He didn't wanted you to think that he wanted to marry you because of the baby but because of you. So he was patient and waited till time was right. Apparently you where cranky for months after I left so he wanted you to feel better again and started planning all these things to make you happy. He wanted his proposal be very romantic so he picked this day in particular."

"But he…"

"Mom, let me finish. He knew that we never spent one Christmas apart. That we have these traditions and he wanted those to be there to this year so he bought me a plane ticket. When he picked me up from the airport this morning he asked me if I wanted to go see you first. He wanted to take me to the inn the moment we arrived in Stars Hallow. But I told him no. I knew you would never go out on a date with him if you knew I was home. And don't tell me you would have because we both know the truth. So I told him to take me to his old apartment. I spent the first few hours sleeping. Before Luke left he brought me dinner and he closed the diner so Caesar could go home to his wife and Lane could spend time with me. He told me you would call me after he proposed anyway, so he made sure he dialled the number for you and you wouldn't figure out the truth right away. When I spoke to him over the phone after you and I talked, he told me that I could come over right away. The movie Lane and I where watching was done in about 10 minutes so we decided to finish it first. Lane promised to clean up so I could go home. When I walked over here, nobody saw me, so you're the third person who sees me here. Just, don't be angry with Luke mom, because…"

That was when all the anger faded away and Lorelai interupted off her daughter again. "I messed up. He's been sweet for me all those time and what do I, I get mad at him."

"I think he understands."

"He shouldn't have to."

"Why don't you go up and talk to him, I'm very tired so I want to go to bed anyway. We'll talk in the morning, have breakfast together, open presents, the whole ritual."

"Are you sure hon? I can stay here so we can talk for a while."

"No, I want to go to bed."

"Okay. So tomorrow huh."

"Yeah, tomorrow."

Lorelai pulled her daughter in a hug. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too mom."

Lorelai kissed her daughter, than stood up. "Goodnight babe."

"Goodnight mom."

Lorelai smiled when she walked upstairs. She knew she still had to make up with Luke, but she knew Christmas would be so much better than she expected yesterday.

Luke was turning in bed when her heard Lorelai descend the stairs. Sleep wouldn't catch in. He kept wondering what he did wrong. He wasn't sure if he wanted to fight more so he acted like he was sleeping when she came into the room.

She looked at him. Even though he appeared to be sleeping there was a sad look on his face. It mad her feel more guilty than she already did. She decided to change into her night clothes before stepping in bed next to him. She took some out of the closet and went into the bathroom to change, brush her teeth and use the bathroom (she had to do that a lot now the baby was getting bigger). After that she walked back into their bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Luke. She caressed his cheek and whispered "Luke."

Luke opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Luke, can we talk please?"

He nodded and sat up, he moved a little bit to the middle of the bed, so she had more space.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have screamed at you, it's just, I missed her so much and I was so happy to see her, and when I realized she was here for hours, I just freaked out. I know that doesn't give me the right to become angry at you, that was so wrong. Rory explained how you called her and asked her if she wanted to come home for Christmas and that you bought her a plane ticket and all. You did everything to make me happy and I became angry with you in response. I am so sorry. I really am. I forget to think sometimes and just keep and I forget about you. I know that's wrong. I shouldn't forget about you because all you think about is me. You are so nice to me and I…"

He interrupted her by kissing her. When he pulled back again he spoke "It's okay, I understand."

"But Luke, you shouldn't have to understand. I…"

He placed his index finger on her lips. "I love you and I know you. Maybe it was wrong to keep Rory away from you but she asked for it. I wanted to take her to you but she refused."

"I know. She told me."

"Good." He waited before he asked "So are you still angry?"

"No, How could I be? After everything you did for me today. I can't believe you made Rory come home. And I can't believe you asked me to marry you."

"You didn't expected that I would?"

"No, that's not it. I just didn't expected it tonight. Like this."

"How did you expected it?"

"I didn't really know what to expect. I just forget that you can be very romantic sometimes."

He leaned in to kiss her again. "You look tired, we should get some sleep, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

"Oh..."

"What?"

"Well, tomorrow is Christmas. We bought presents for each other and for my parents but Rory's present, we sent them to London."

"No we didn't."

"We didn't?"

"No, you asked me to do that, but I didn't."

"Good thinking." She smiled. Than she stood up and walked around the bed to get in at her side. She laid down on her side.

Luke watched her get in the bed. He kissed her once more before he laid down himself. He laid down on his side as well, and pulled him close to his chest. He smiled when he thought that this was the first night he was sleeping with his fiancée.


	15. Christmas morning

_A/N While I was writing this chapter I realized that I kind of mixed up ascend and descend in the last chapter. So from now on I'll pay attention to that. This chapter takes place the next morning. This chapter covers the morning and the afternoon, my next chapter will cover Christmas dinner. I don't know when I have that one done, because school is keeping me busy like always. My boyfriend commented that there's a link between busy and my name, so maybe it's my parents fault ;)  
__Oh, and for those who wonder when the baby gets born, somewhere at the end of February. I have already made up my mind about the details as sex and name, but I won't reveal them until the chapter comes up. I don't know when that chapter comes up, because there are a few things I want to write first._

**Chapter 15 Christmas morning **

Lorelai woke up early that morning. Luke was laying on his back, his arm still around her. She turned on her side and watched him while he was sleeping. She was thinking how amazing it was that he was going to be her husband. She wondered if anything would be different, but realized that it wouldn't really. It was like they where already married, just not official. But she definitely wanted to make it official. There was nothing else she wanted more than to be Mrs. Danes. She smiled at that thought. It sounded really good. Lorelai Danes. Yeah, it sounds great. She lifted herself up a little so she could see what time it was. 8.00 ó clock. It was unusual that Luke was still sleeping at this time. Normally he woke up early, even on his days off. Why wasn't he awake now. It was Christmas. Why would he take this particular day to sleep in. She moved closer to him and placed a kiss on his mouth. Than she laid her head on his shoulder. She moved one of her hands to his chest and started playing with his chest hair. It wasn't long before he wake up. She felt his hand move to her hair. She lifted her head so she could look at him. He was smiling at her. She kissed him deeply before saying "Good morning."

"Morning." He kept smiling.

"What you're thinking?" She smiled back at him.

"I was thinking that I'm the happiest man alive."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Waking up with you in my arms and knowing that I can do that for the rest of my life makes me very happy."

"Me too." She kissed him again.

"So, have you thought about a date?"

"For the wedding?"

"Yeah."

"Not really, just somewhere after February."

"Why?"

"Well, that's when the baby is due. I don't want to get married looking like this."

"Like what?"

"Well, you know, fat."

"You don't look fat."

"Oh come on, have you seen me the past few months?"

"Yes I have and you look very beautiful."

"Oh come on. I don't."

"Yes you do. But it's okay if you want to wait till after the baby is born. That way we can tell her that she was at our wedding."

"Her?"

"Yeah, don't you think we're getting a baby girl?"

"I don't know. It can be a boy you know."

"Well, that fine to. A boy, a girl, it doesn't matter. It's going to be perfect anyway."

"That's true." She smiled again.

"We still have to decide on baby names."

"Yeah I know. But we've got another two months. I didn't named Rory until after she was born. I never really thought about a name for her."

"You didn't?"

"Nah, I was to busy with other stuff you know."

"I can imagine."

"But it's different now. I just want everything to be planned. So it's nice if we decided on a name before the baby is born, but if we haven't we'll decide when we see it."

"Have you thought about it already?"

"Yeah, sometimes. But I haven't made up my mind though. Have you thought about it.?"

"Yeah I did."

"Where did you came up with?"

He didn't answered.

"Come on Luke, tell me."

"I didn't really came up with anything good."

"Oh, well we can decide later. I'll stop by the bookstore later this week and pick up a book with baby names."

"Yeah, I like that. But what about our wedding?"

"Umm.. well, I was thinking about the summer. Rory will be leaving again after the holidays." The look on her face went a little sad, just thinking about it. "And she won't be home again until June. So I was thinking, July, maybe August."

"A summer wedding huh. I can deal."

"We can have an outside wedding in the garden of the inn. With Rory as my maid of honor. And the baby will be there."

"It will be perfect."

"Yeah, it will be."

Lorelai was silent after that. "What are you thinking about?"

"Well, all sorts of thinks. About the baby and the wedding."

"And?"

"And about Rory leaving again."

"You shouldn't think about that yet. Just enjoy the time you can spent with her."

"I will." She waited before she said. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for taking her home for Christmas. I know it will be even harder to miss her after she's gone again. But at least we got this time together. It really means a lot to me. And I'm sorry I went angry with you last night. I didn't meant to get angry with you. I just don't know what got into me. It's just.."

"Hey, we already did this last night. I know how you feel and I know that you're glad she's back and I know that you didn't meant to get angry."

"But…" He cut her off by kissing her. When he pulled back he said: "Let's go downstairs, get some breakfast, open presents. Rory's probably awake already."

"I'm not sure about that. It's still early."

"Yeah, but she does has a jetlag."

"Maybe you're sure. Let's go find out." She kissed him once more before she stepped out of the bed. She puts on a robe and went into the bathroom.

Luke stepped out of the bed also. He took some clothes from the chair and changed into them. He met Lorelai in the hallway, who was just about to go downstairs. She took his hand in hers while the descend the stairs. As Luke expected, Rory was already sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Morning."

That's when Rory noticed she wasn't alone anymore, so she turned around and saw Luke and her mother standing holding hands. "Good morning. So you guys made up?"

"Yeah, I couldn't stay mad at him. He gave me the best Christmas present ever."

"Which is?" Rory smiled.

"The marriage proposal and the change to share the joy of the engagement with you."

"Smart answer." Luke smiled. "Morning Rory."

"Morning Luke."

"So, I'm going to fix us some breakfast." He kissed Lorelai on her cheek and walked into the kitchen.

Lorelai sat down next to her daughter. "So, now tell me everything about London."

"What do you want to know? I e-mailed you at least once a day to keep you updated."

"Tell me the things I don't know yet. What about boys. You never wrote about boys. Aren't there cute boys in England?"

"Well, there are some cute boys, but none of them I'm interested in the way you are talking about. I didn't go to London to meet a boy, I went there to study and that's what I do."

"Sometimes I wonder if you are really my daughter." Lorelai smiled

"I don't think there's any question about it." Luke had entered the living room again.

"Why?" Lorelai looked at him.

"Oh come on. She's just like you."

"Yeah, maybe she is." Lorelai looked at her daughter. "I can't believe I haven't seen you in 4 months."

"Neither can I." They both ignored the fact that they have to spent the next 6 months apart also. They knew it was there, but not this week. This week was about being together.

"Breakfast is ready in 10 minutes."

"Okay." Luke went back into the kitchen.

"So, you made any decisions about the wedding yet?" Rory took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Yeah some. We decided that we want to get married late in July or early in August. We haven't decided on an actual date yet."

"Want to wait so long?"

"Well, not much choice is there. There's no way we can plan a wedding in a week, besides, I don't want to look this fat on my wedding pictures."

"You're not fat."

"Yes I do, but that's okay."

"But what after the baby is born."

"Well, I'm not getting married without you by my side. And I figured it be nice if we can plan some parts of the wedding together, so I have to wait till you get back here in June. That's how we got to late July."

"Oh." Rory looked sad when she realized it was her fault her mother had to wait 7 months before she could get married.

"Hun, it's okay. All that matters is that we are getting married. Luke and I waited a long time to get together. And it's not like we have to wait another 8 years to get married. It will be the summer. It takes time to plan a wedding anyway. Besides, Luke already lives here so I see him every day. I don't want anything else than marry him, but I can wait a few months. All that matters is that one day my family will be complete. And you will be there and the baby will be there, and of course Luke will be there. That's all that I need to get a perfect wedding. Rory smiled. "So you're okay with waiting."

"Absolutely." Lorelai hugged her daughter. "So, you want to be my maid of honor?"

"Of course. I would love to."

"Good."

At the same time Luke called from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready."

"Come on. Lorelai took her daughters hand and leaded her towards the kitchen."

After breakfast it was time to open presents. Each of them got two presents. When they had all opened their presents there was still one present left underneath the tree.

"Whose is that?" Lorelai asked.

"It's the babies." Rory answered.

"Honey, you didn't had to."

"I know, but I wanted to."

Lorelai opened the present and a few tears appeared in her eyes when she saw the rattle in it. It was simple but beautiful. "I love it, thank you so much." Lorelai pulled her daughter into an embrace.

"I have another present also." Lorelai let go of her daughter and turned to face Luke."

"You do?"

"Yeah, just follow me upstairs."

"Upstairs?"

Luke helped Lorelai up and led her up the stairs. Rory followed. Luke stopped in front of the babies room. "Ready?"

Lorelai nodded. He opened the door and they all entered the room. Lorelai looked around. The place was filled with furniture. The most beautiful furniture she had ever seen.

"Wow, Luke this is beautiful. How did you do this?"

"I made it."

"When. How?"

"I used the apartment above the diner. Every time the place was slow, I went upstairs. I know you wanted something special, so I knew buying wouldn't do it."

Lorelai started walking around. "This is amazing. Wow. This is really amazing."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Like it, I love it! This is so beautiful. Wow" She didn't knew what else to say. After a while she stopped in front of him. Looking in his eyes she said: "Thank you so much." After that she kissed him. When she pulled back she saw him smile. She just loves to see him smile. She leaned in to kiss him again. After he pulled back Lorelai realized Rory was still in the room so she turned around to face her daughter. "Oh, sorry."

"That's okay." Rory smiled when she saw her mothers happiness. "The room is really beautiful Luke."

"Thanks." He said.

"Do you guys mind if I go take a shower?" Lorelai asked.

"No, of course not."

While Lorelai went into the bathroom, Luke and Rory went back downstairs.

"Coffee?"

"Yes please." Luke went into the kitchen to make coffee for Rory and tea for himself. He came back after 5 minutes or so.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

"So," he asked, sitting down next to her, "happy to be home?"

"Yeah. It's great to be home again. Honestly, I don't really feel like leaving again."

He picked up his cup and took a sip. "I tell you the same I told your mother this morning, don't think about that yet. Just enjoy the time you can spent together. And than, you leave again to continue the program in London and before you know it will be June and you can come home again."

She also picked up her cup. "But I'll miss so much. The baby getting born and it's first few months. The first time it will laugh all those sort of things. And your wedding has to wait till July."

"Don't worry about our wedding. All that matters is that we're finally getting married, not when it happens. And about the baby. I'll make sure we'll catch all the good moments on video, so you can watch them. And we'll send you pictures and maybe some parts of the movies. And like I said, you'll be home before you know it." He placed his cup onto the table.

"But..."

He picked up her cup and placed it onto the table next to his. After that he took her hand in hers. "Rory, this program is very important. You're growing up and getting a life of your own. But you don't have to be afraid of not being a part of your mothers life anymore because you will always be the most important thing in her life..."

"But you and the baby…"

"We're important too, but that doesn't change the fact that you where here first. It was you and your mother for such a long time and now things are chancing. I know that's scarred, but you don't have to be afraid. You will always be a part of your mothers life, of our life. When your mother first told me about the baby I was afraid. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be a good father. I really screwed up when I had to take care of Jess. I know that in the end it worked out but that wasn't because of me. But than I thought of you."

"Of me?"

"Yeah. You are like a daughter to me and I know you turned out so well because of your mother. But there where situations where I had time to practice some parental skills with you and with the way you turned out, there is no way I had to be afraid. And trust me Rory, the baby will never replace you. I promise you that."

"Thanks." Even though Rory already knew that, she felt relieved to hear those words. The truth was she was afraid about the things Luke mentioned. Of course she would never admit it to her mother. It made her feel like a little kid, being jealous on a baby that isn't even born yet. But now she knew there was nothing to be afraid for. "I think I had a little to much time to think in London. Getting all these weird thoughts in my mind."

"Well, I guess that's natural."

Rory smiled. "Luke?"

"Yeah."

"You're like my father too. You were more a father to me than Christopher has ever been."

"Thanks." Luke smiled to. Than he pulled Rory into a hug. "I love you Rory."

"I love you too Luke."

They pulled back after a few seconds when they heard Lorelai descending the stairs. Luke stood up and walked towards the stairs. "I'm taking a shower now."

"Okay". Lorelai kissed him when she passed him. While Luke went upstairs, Lorelai sat down next to her daughter. "Where were you two talking about?"

"Oh nothing."

"Rory, what's with the hug?"

"We were just talking about the baby and than he told me that I was like a daughter to him and I told him that he is like a father to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And you know it."

Lorelai smiled. "I do. It's just… I never knew you saw it that way."

After lunch they started watching old Christmas movies. They watched a Christmas Carol and White Christmas and a Christmas to remember. After the third movie finished it was time to leave for Christmas dinner at Richard and Emily's. They didn't knew about Rory being back, so there was a big surprise waiting for them.


	16. A wonderful evening at Christmas

_A/N I want to thank my 3th cousin Willeke for proof reading my new chapter. I want to thank Mickey for offering to check my chapter and I know I asked you to proof read it, but my cousin is here for the holidays and offered to do it. She lives in Canada for over 4 years now, and her English is very well.  
_**  
Chapter 16 A wonderful evening at Christmas**

During the drive to Hartford they discussed how they would tell them Rory was home. Lorelai came up with a few options. The first one was just to walk in like the most normal thing for her to walk in. Which it is of course. But not today since she is supposed to be in London at the moment. The second option was to leave Rory in the car for a while, and make Richard and Emily go outside to get something from it. The something would be Rory. Or Rory could ring the bell after a few minutes, and than walk in like it is the most normal thing to do. An option close to the first one, although now the surprise would be stalled for a while. Or they could let Rory go in first, and follow later themselves. She kept on rambling about the options. Luke switched watching her and the road, smiling to see her happy, even though they where going to her parents place. They were getting along much better now, but she still complained about going to the Friday night dinners. It was just the thought of having to do something without having a choice, that she hated most. Most of the time she enjoyed spending the time with her mother. They had normal conversations now. They talked about things that bothered them, and Emily loved to see her pregnant daughter and her boyfriend. Not one time she had mentioned marriage. Not even before Luke asked their permission to propose, and not even when they had decided to move in together. All they said in reply to that was that they where happy for them.  
Rory went along with the rambling of her mother and brought in some idea's herself. Her first option was to walk in with Luke and Lorelai but hide herself for a while. Then Lorelai had to tell them about their date last night and at the point at the story where suddenly the doorbell rang and she opened the door, surprised to see who was behind it, Rory would walk in and say 'me.' It was a good option, but it would only be an option if a maid opened the door and Richard and/or Emily wouldn't walk in the hallway. There was a big change they would do that, or open the door themselves as they knew about the proposal. Her second option was also an stay outside one. This time she would wait outside and use her cell phone to call her grandparents and tell them there's a surprise by their front door. And then when they would open the door, she will be the surprise.

As they where almost there, they had to pick one of the options. Rory voted for her last option. Lorelai voted for walking in together. So now they where looking at Luke, their eyes begging him to pick an options. Both of them explained why their option was the best and why it should be picked.

"Come on Luke, you have to make a choice." Lorelai looked at him.

"Why can't you just sort this out yourself. Don't get me into this."

"But Luke, we can't make a decision yet. You have to do it." Rory begged him.

"No, I won't do it. If I pick now, you hold it against me for the rest of the night. I won't do that."

"So you do know what option you think is the best," Lorelai noticed. "Just tell us, I promise we won't get mad at you."

"Yeah right," He replied when he turned the car onto the driveway. "You have to make a decision now because we're here."

"I still think my option is the best." Rory said.

"Why can't we just go in all together. You shouldn't wait out here. It's freezing." Lorelai replied.

"But it wouldn't be fun to walk in there together."

"Yes it is. They don't expect it to be fun."

"But it's so simple. I don't want it to be simple."

"Why is it simple?"

"Because it is."

Then they both pouted. "Luke, pleaaaase help us"

But before he could answer they heard a knock against the car window. They turned to look at the window and saw both Richard and Emily standing out there, looking at what was going on. This was what brought an end to the discussion. All the options was gone. This was how they found out Rory was there. So they stepped out of the car like it was the most natural thing, smiling at the confused looks on the faces of Richard and Emily.

"Rory. Look Richard, it's Rory."

"I can see that Emily." They pulled their granddaughter into an embrace. "I didn't know you where coming home for Christmas." Richard said when he pulled back.

"Mom didn't even know."

"She didn't?"

"No."

"It's freezing out here." Lorelai said. "Let's go inside and we'll tell the whole story."

The others nodded and they walked inside. There was a maid waiting to take their coats. After giving them to her, they walked into the living room. They all sat down and Lorelai started telling the story. She started her story when she came home and found out Luke wasn't there, even though he said he would be. She told them about the dress he gave her.(She was wearing the dress, since it was Christmas and it was the best dress she had that fit her perfectly) She told them about the restaurant he took her to. Emily replied by telling that she knew the place, because Richard and herself had been there once. She commented that it was a very nice place and wondered why they never came back there. When Lorelai was able to continue her story, she told them about when they came home. About the presents underneath the Christmas tree, and that she was allowed to open one. She told them it was a big box, and it was almost empty. Almost, given that there was a small box in the bottom. And in the box there was this ring. She showed them her hand. "And Luke proposed and I said yes."

"Congratulations." Richard said. Giving Luke a hand and hugging his daughter. Kissing her cheek when she pulled back.

"I'm really happy for you." Emily said. She kissed and hugged Lorelai and hugged Luke also.

When they all sat down again Lorelai was able to continue. "After Luke proposed, he said that I should call Rory. So I picked up the phone and dialled the number. I talked to Rory for a while, telling her about the proposal. After we talked she asked if she could talk to Luke for a while. They did. He walked away to check on something and when he came back in the living room. He had hung up the phone. He sat down next to me again. We talked and suddenly the doorbell rang. Luke helped me up so I could open the door. Of course he offered to do it, but I told him I would go. Anyway, I opened the door and there she was. I didn't believed it at first so I cried for Luke. He came to see what was 'wrong' and than I realised it was for real. So finally I could hold my daughter in my arms again."

"Wow. But how did you got home?" Emily looked at Rory.

"With an airplane." Rory replied.

"I understand, but how, I mean, how?" She couldn't find the right words to explain what she meant.

"A few weeks ago Luke called me to ask me how I felt about him proposing to my mother. After I told him how happy I was about him finally doing that, he told me about how he was planning to propose. Then he asked me how I felt to come home, so my mother could share the news with me. In addition to that, we could celebrate Christmas all together. Of course, I told him that I would love to come home, so he bought me a plane ticket. The plane arrived yesterday and he picked me up from the airport. He took me to the diner where I stayed in his old apartment until the moment they called. I spent the evening with my friend Lane, catching up and watching a movie. My mother then called, it was the signal to go home."

"That was really kind of you Luke." Richard looked at his son in law to be.

"I knew how sad Lorelai would be if she wouldn't be able to share this news with Rory in person, and since it was news to be happy about and it was Christmas eve, I figured that the best thing I could do was to take Rory home."

"How long are you staying?" Emily asked. She didn't really wanted to ask, but she had to know.

"Till next Sunday. The plane leaves at 5 ó clock at night so I'll be back in London by Monday morning. Normally, I have classes on Monday, but I can miss one day. I thought about leaving sooner, but than I won't be able to spend New Years eve at home."

"But let's not talk about her leaving again." Luke said. "Just enjoy the time she spends here and deal with the rest later."

"I'll drink to that!" Richard replied.

"Dinner is ready." The maid said entered the living room.

"Thank you Lydia." Emily said.

They stood up and walked into the dining room. Lydia was busy serving dinner when the group happily sat down. When everybody had received their food Richard spoke. "Before we start this feast, I would like to tell you all how happy I am about everything that has happened in this past year. It was a very interesting year. Me and Emily getting back together, for which I'm very grateful. Lorelai getting pregnant, which is a very good thing also. Rory being excepted at very important school program in London, which shows what an amazing student she is. I can't say how proud I am to that. Luke proposing to Lorelai, so he can finally become a part of this family. Even though he already is, just not official. And now I'm allowed to celebrate Christmas with my family, my beautiful wife, my beautiful daughter and her fiancée, and my beautiful granddaughter. I know it's a little bit early to toast to the New Year, but since you don't spent New Year's eve in here, I would like to say, that if the next year is half as good as this one, I am a very happy man." He raised his glass and said: "Now, let's eat."  
They all sipped their drinks and started eating.

During dinner Emily asked "Have you made any decisions about the wedding yet?"

"Nothing major. Just that we're planning on having it late July, maybe early August. Haven't really decided on a date yet."

"Why wait so long?"

Lorelai started to wonder how many times she had to answer that question. This wasn't the first time, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. "We don't have much choice. Rory won't be home again until June. And I want to plan parts of this wedding with her. Maybe we'll decide to have the wedding early July later, but that's the earliest possible."

"Oh, of course. I didn't realized that."

"That's okay." Lorelai replied.

"But it will be a big wedding right?" Emily asked, looking at her daughter hopefully.

"I don't know mom. Luke and I didn't have the change to discuss any details yet. All we've decided is that Rory will be the maid of honour, and that it's going to be a summer wedding."

"But you can decide now."

"Emily, I think we should give them time to discuss this together." Richard looked at his wife.

"But.." She stopped when she realized that this conversation wouldn't do any good. She was finally getting along with her daughter, and pulling a fight about the wedding before any details were decided wouldn't do any good.

"We just want to get married, and we want our family to be there." Luke said, looking at Lorelai.

"Yeah." She smiled. "Rory will be there, the baby will be there, you guys will be there, and our friends will be there. That's all we need."

"That sounds absolutely lovely." Emily was sure this wedding wouldn't be anything like the wedding she always wanted for her daughter. But then again, nothing she wanted for her daughter had really happened. First she had to drop out of school because she got pregnant, then she refused to marry the father of her child and walked away from home. She worked as a maid. She remember the day Lorelai walked into their home, asking for money to Rory's tuition for Chilton. She took her change and added the Friday night dinners as part of the agreement. This was when both her daughter and granddaughter came back into her life. Of course, she had seen them before, but only on special occasions. Lorelai failed to mention her engagement to Max and then decided she didn't wanted to marry him at all. Than Christopher came back in her life, but broke up even before they really had a change to get back together. She was so disappointed at that moment. And then there was Jason, a relationship she also forgot to mention. Thank god they broke up. And in the end she showed up with Luke. Of course, she had known for a long time that there was more between them. But Luke wasn't the kind of guy she had wanted for Lorelai. He owns a diner. He is no member of a country club, he's not rich. But here they are. She looks at her daughter. She sees the smile on her daughters face. Following the gaze, she sees she's smiling to Luke. And he's smiling back. They look happy. Maybe this isn't what she wanted for her daughter, but in the end it was what her daughter wanted. And it obviously made her happy. She looked at Rory. Rory is smiling also…

"Mom."

"Emily?"

"What?" Emily finally realized they where talking to her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Oh nothing."

"Don't tell me it's nothing mom. I can see that there is something."

Emily smiled. "I noticed how happy you are."

"What?"

"You look happy."

"I am. I am happy."

"Good. Lorelai, I want you to know that I'm happy if your happy."

"What?" She looked at her mother, confused.

"I know that I didn't approved your relationship with Luke from the beginning, and I know that you feel like I want you to have a big wedding. And I do. It's what I always wanted for you. But I also know that it is not you. And it is not Luke. The most important thing is that you get married. You are going to have a baby and you are getting married. And you're happy."

"I am happy." Lorelai was smiling again.

The whole family was standing in the hallway, ready to say their goodbye's. The rest of the dinner had gone very well also. No more words were spoken about the wedding. They knew Luke and Lorelai had to talk about what they wanted in private. And they had a few months to plan the wedding. Rory told her grandparents all about her study program in London. Lorelai loved to see her daughter talk about that. The look on her face showed how happy she was there, even though she missed everybody a lot. Most important, was that the entire evening, no bad words were spoken. It had been a lovely evening, and they almost regretted it was over. But it was late, they had to drive all the way home. Normally it would take about half an hour, but it was snowing very hard so it would probably take a lot longer.

Lorelai walked towards her mother, hugging her. "Mom, thanks for the lovely evening."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"I'm positive. Luke has to open the diner early, and I have to get to the inn early as well."

"Okay, but make sure you drive safe."

"We will."

"Give me a call when you're home."

"But it will be late."

"I know. That doesn't matter. I'll feel better if you call me."

"Okay mom, I will."

She walked to her father, kissing his cheek. "Bye dad."

"Bye Lorelai."

Emily hugged Rory. "It was a pleasant surprise to have you show up."

"It was lovely grandma."

"Make sure you step by at least once more this week."

"I promise I will."

"Good. Goodnight Rory."

"Goodnight grandma." After that Rory also kissed her grandfathers cheek, saying goodbye.

Luke gave both of them a hand, thanking them for the evening. After that they walked outside. Emily and Richard waved till they couldn't see the car anymore. Richard put his arm around the shoulder of his wife. "That was a wonderful evening."

"Yes it was."

Almost an hour later, Lorelai gave her mother a call, telling her that they arrived home save. After she hang up she stepped into the bed, next to Luke. He laid down on his back and she snuggled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder. She took his hand in her own.

"It was a good day."

"Yes it was." He smiled at her. "I love seeing you so happy."

"You know, you're a big part of my happiness right."

"I was hoping that." He kissed her forehead.

"The evening went very well."

"Yes it did."

"So, do you think my mother meant the part about our wedding?"

"I think so. You both learned a lot about each other during the past few months. And I believe that your happiness means a lot to her."

"Thanks."

"For what?" He moved a few hairs out of her face, stroking it behind her face.

"You know, for everything. I just feel like I don't tell you enough how happy I am to be with you, and how much I love you."

"You tell me a lot. And even if you don't, I know anyways. And I love you too."

"I know." She yawned.

"Let's get some sleep. We both have to get out early."

"Don't say that."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "Goodnight Lorelai."

"Night Luke."

_A/N I hope you guys liked the chapter. This is it for now. I already have some great idea's for the next chapter, which I got when I was babysitting a few days ago. I didn't had the time to start the chapter yet but with the holidays I've got about 2 weeks of so it won't be to long. For now I wish you all a merry Christmas!!_


	17. A change in plans

_A/N: Like I said, I was babysitting when I came up with the idea for my next chapter(s). I didn't had the time to write it out until now and I hope you like it. I tried to make the paragraphs less long, so I hope this is easier to read. Arlene, you will see that you figured me out. I hope you like the way I wrote it though. _

I wrote this chapter about two weeks ago. After that I sent it to my cousin so she could check it for grammar mistakes. Obviously she had a very busy time with school and all and for a week she promised me several times to send it back.  
Today I finally received it in my mailbox. I would like to know what you prefer, a chapter with unedited like before which I post right after I wrote it, or a chapter edited, but because of that, posted a week or so (depends on how fast my cousin is). I think I prefer posting the chapter as soon as possible, but it's all up to you!!!

_For now, I'm sorry it took this long to update and I hope that the chapter was worth the waiting._

**Chapter 17: A change in plans**

Lorelai woke up very early that morning. The room was still dark and she had no idea what time it was. She was still laying in Luke's arms. She smiled realizing how much she loves to do that, and at the moment she hoped that this was how she was going to wake up every morning for the rest of her life. 2 Years ago a thought like that would have scared her to death, but not anymore.

She thought about the dream she had that night and all the sudden she knew what she wanted. She turned around, carefully not to wake Luke, to see what time it was. 4.30. She could sleep for at least 2 hours before she had to get up, and even Luke wouldn't wake up this early. But honestly she didn't wanted to sleep anymore. She wanted to talk to Luke, tell him about her dream. She turned in his arms once again.

He shifted when she did that, he muttered: "You okay."

She argued whether to reply or not. She knew that if she said nothing he would fell back asleep, but she also knew she wouldn't, and she wanted to tell him this. "Luke?"

"Mmm…"

"Let's do it today."

"What?" He opened his eyes.

"Let's do it today."

He looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Do what today? What time is it?"

"4.30"

"Why the hell are you awake at 4.30. You don't have to get up in 2 hours."

"I had a dream and I couldn't sleep afterwards. Sorry I woke you up too."

"That's okay, what's wrong?" He searched for her hand and took it in his.

"I don't want to wait, in my dream we..."

He expected her to continue but she stopped so he prompted: "We what?" He had no idea where she was talking about. Of course, with her that happened a lot, but there was something with the look in her eyes that told him this was a something serious. Something was bothering her.

"In my dream we decided to wait. And then in the end it didn't happened at all. So let's just do it today."

He still had no idea where she was talking about. "It?"

"The wedding."

Aha, now it started to make sense. "But I thought you wanted to wait?"

"I know what I said, but I lied. I don't want to wait. Normally I need Rory to analyse my dreams but this one was very clear. When I woke up in your arms just now, all I could think was 'I want to wake up like this every day for the rest of my life.' I know that 2 years ago a thought like that would have scared me to death. But not anymore. Now all I want is to wake up and to be your wife. And my dream told me that we shouldn't wait anymore."

"Lorelai"

"I know it takes forever to plan a wedding but we can do it fast. We can't wait a few weeks because Rory will be gone, so why not do it today? I can ask Michel to take another shift at the inn and the gazebo is already decorated so that's a perfect location for the wedding. And the town can come, and my parents, and all we have to do is find someone who can marry us." After her ramble her voice softened. She lifted herself so she could look in his eyes. "Luke, do you want to marry me today?"

He thought about it for a while and than carefully said. "No."

Before he could continue the look on her face went to sad and she turned her head away, not wanting him to see. He turned her head so she was facing him, and used his thumb to wipe away the tears that had appeared in her eyes. "Hey, don't do that. I didn't say I don't want to marry you. I said no to marrying you today. We can't plan this wedding in one day, we need a little more time than that."

"But we don't have much time Luke. Rory will be leaving again within a few days."

"I know, but like you say, she won't be leaving again within a few days. We just need a little more time than just one day to plan the wedding."

She didn't respond. She thought about what he said. Maybe he was right. It kind of made sense. The dream had just freaked her out. Yesterday she felt like it didn't matter when the wedding would take place, if it just did. But today everything seemed different. She had no idea what had changed, maybe it was the dream, but maybe it was just time.

"Let's get married on the 31st of December."

"What?" Lorelai looked up.

"If you think you can find someone to cover for you at the inn, let's get married on the 31st of December. We'll have 5 days to plan the wedding and if we can find someone to marry us, we can plan the ceremony that way, we'll be married at midnight exact."

"Are you serious?"

"I've never been more serious in my life."

The expression on her face went from sad to happy again. "You know, you're the most romantic man I've ever met."

He smiled back. "Honestly, I never knew I had it inside me. You somehow know how bring it up in me."

She thought about a appropriate reply, but for once couldn't find the right words, so she placed her lips on his.

Lorelai arrived at the inn just in time. After she had discussed the details of the wedding with Luke in bed that morning, they had taken showers and got dressed. He went first as always, because he was the first one to leave, and, more important, because he was a lot faster than her.

When she entered the kitchen later, breakfast was already prepared. She was surprised to see Rory at the breakfast table, but remembered the jetlag her daughter had. She had told Rory about the new wedding plans. Rory had never been more excited about something in her life. They all realised that there wasn't much time, so the planning had to start right away.  
Luke had the task to find a minister who was willing to work that night.  
Rory promised to ask Lane if her band could play at the wedding, to find a store where they had wedding dresses in maternity size, and to make a list of everything else that needed to be done.  
Lorelai herself had to find someone to cover for her at the inn the next few days, she had to ask Sookie to cater, find a location, and call her parents. They agreed to meet each other at 2 o clock at the diner.

Lorelai entered the kitchen, looking for Sookie. She saw her friend was busy preparing breakfast. "Morning Sook."

"Oh, hey Lorelai. How was Christmas?" She looked up to face her friend.

"Better than I could ever have imagined."

Sookie smiled when she saw the smile on her friends face. "What happened?"

Lorelai poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. "Where do you want me to start." Lorelai smiled at her friend and started telling the whole Christmas eve story.

"Oh my god!!!" Sookie screamed, and replied the line a few more times as she was jumping up and down.

"I know." Lorelai replied. But it's getting even better. "This morning Luke and I decided that we don't want to wait. The original plan was to schedule the wedding late July but we don't want to wait. Rory's leaving again at the first of January so we want to get married before that. The plan is midnight at New Years eve."

"Oh my god, that's so romantic." Sookie screamed again. She was so excited.

"The thing is," Lorelai continued, "we only have 5 days to plan the wedding, and I'm supposed to work that night."

Sookie took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down a bit. "We can figure something out. We can ask Michel to cover for you, and if he doesn't want to, we'll find someone else. This is way more important."

"Really?"

"Yes, oh, and we have to, and we need to, and how do you feel about.."

"Sookie!"

"Yes?"

"Calm down. I would love you to cater the wedding but you have to calm down. There isn't much time so freaking out won't work. If I wasn't 7 months pregnant I would be jumping up and down with you but I have to think clear, which isn't so easy, but there isn't much time and I need a location and Luke's going to find a minister and Rory's going to find me a dress and..."

"Lorelai." Sookie smiled at her friend.

"I know." Lorelai smiled back and pulled her friend into a hug.

"What kind of location do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking the inn's garden or else the gazebo."

At the same moment Michel walked in. "Don't you girls have some work to do?"

"Yes we do. Oh, Lorelai's getting married." Sookie yelled.

"Oh, congratulations." He replied with his annoying accent. "But are you getting married today because there is a lot of work to do around here."

"Not today, New Years eve."

"But you're working on New Years eve."

"I know, but I was hoping you want to cover for me."

"Hell no, I already worked Christmas. We had a deal."

"I know we had, but again, I was hoping you'd take New Years eve also. Of course, there will be a huge bonus."

"No, my mother is coming. I'm not working on New Years eve."

"But Michel…" Lorelai thought for a moment. "Okay, I understand." She turned to Sookie. "Do you still have Tobin's number. I bet he's willing to take the shift."

"My notebook is in my purse, let me get it." Sookie stood up.

"No wait." Michel replied. "You can't ask him to work for you. I'll do it."

"But you said.."

"I know what I said but I changed my mind. I'll ask my mother to come with me." He turned around to walk away. When he reached the door he turned around once more. "And can you please get to work now?"

Lorelai smiled. She knew he would fell for it. Michel covering for her made the date official.

"Sook, I have one more question. Do you think we can have the wedding at the inn? I know were supposed to have that New Years eve party but I want the wedding to be outside. And as we're already throwing the party here, a few extra quests wouldn't be a problem, would it? It's really hard to find a location on such short notice, and if you say no I'll find something else but…"

"I think it's a great idea. The quests would love it right? The first wedding of the year, in our inn, and they can witness it. Oh, we can put up flowers, and we have fireworks and and.."

"So, you think it's okay?"

"Okay, really Lorelai, it's more than okay."

"But the place is totally booked."

"I know. Just inform the quests that there will be a wedding and that they are invited. Some of them are already here, and you have phone numbers of the others."

"That's a good plan. So it's settled?"

"Absolutely."

"Good, I better get to work now, otherwise Michel will come after me. I'll make sure I'll notify the quests of the wedding."

"Okay honey. And Lorelai?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really happy for you."

Lorelai was able to take a break around 11-o clock. She walked into her office and sat down behind her desk. First she called the quests that hadn't arrived yet. None of them had a problem with the wedding taken place during their visit, and most of them told her that they were pleased to be invited. She made a list of all the quest that she had informed already. There was one couple left, which didn't answer. After that she picked up the phone again, and dialled her mother's number.

A woman's voice answered after a few rings "Gilmore residence."

"Hello, this is Lorelai Gilmore speaking, is my mother around?"

"Just a second miss Gilmore."

Emily replied a couple of seconds later. "Lorelai?"

"Hi mom."

"Is everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, you've been here just yesterday. Normally you…"

Lorelai knew what her mother meant but decided to let is pass "Actually I have some news."

"Really?"

"What are you doing on New Years eve?"

"You know what we're doing on New Years eve Lorelai."

"Yes I do. But I was wondering if you could skip the event and go somewhere else instead."

"Where would that be?"

"Luke and I have decided that we don't want to wait with the wedding until July. If it was for me we would have gotten married today but Luke says we can't plan a wedding in just one day so we settled for New Years eve."

Emily started smiling. She wasn't really looking forward to the event they had to go to but until now she had no excuse, and this one was the best excuse a woman could ever have. "I'm very happy to hear that you decided to advance the wedding. I'm just wondering how you intent to plan a wedding on such short notice?"

"Luke's looking for a minister that is willing to work on New Years eve at the moment. The wedding will take place at the inn. Sookie will cater. Rory's there to help, and I was wondering if you want to help as well."

Emily's smile went even bigger. Since the day Lorelai was born she dreamt about planning her daughters wedding one day. A long time ago she realized that dream would probably never come trough, until today. "I would love to. Just tell me what I have to do."

"I'm meeting Luke and Rory at the diner at 2 o clock. I'd love for you to come. We're going to see what everybody found out already, and discuss the things that need to be done."

"I'll be there."

"Okay, see you later mom."

"Bye Lorelai."

Lorelai paused a second before entering the diner a little after 2. Her mother was already there. She and Rory where talking about something. Lorelai noticed how happy her mother seemed. She spotted Luke serving coffee to his customers. There weren't many people. Three people who looked like tourist where sitting at one table, and Kirk was sitting at the counter.

Luke looked at the door when he heard the bell jingle. He smiled when he saw who entered. He walked towards her and kissed her. After that she took a seat next Rory. Luke followed her. "Who's hungry?"

"Stupid question to ask a pregnant lady." Lorelai smiled.

"Of course. What kind I get you?" He smiled back.

Everybody ordered and Luke went to the kitchen to give the orders to Caesar. After that he poured Lorelai a cup of coffee and walked back to the table and sat down.

"Thanks babe." Lorelai said. "Did you found a minister?" She sipped her coffee.

"It took a few phone calls but yes, I found one. He's coming by tomorrow evening to discuss the details."

"Sounds perfect." She turned to Rory. "How about you?"

"I searched the Internet and found the most perfect store. I called them and if you want we can step by tonight. I explained that we don't have much time to plan the wedding and that you're supposed to work most of the time. I told them that we're looking for a dress in maternity size and she told me that it's their specialty. The drive is about 45 minutes, and she's expecting us at 8."

"Thanks hon. that sounds absolutely great. I got Michel to cover for me on New Years eve. He protested at first but after I brought up Tobin he gave in."

"Smart move." Rory smiled.

"I know. So, now we have a date and a minister and a location."

"This morning you mentioned the gazebo?" Luke asked.

"Yeah I did, but I figured with the towns festivities that wouldn't work so I asked Sookie about the inn. We can have the wedding itself in the garden. I know it would be very cold and anything, but there is snow and there will be fireworks at midnight."

"As long as we can wear coats, an outside wedding is fine by me."

"Good. So, the actual wedding will be in the garden and the party can be inside the inn. We already planned a party for the quests as it's New Years eve. We already booked a band so that is covered also. Maybe we can ask Lane's band to play outside…"

At that moment Caesar brought their plates. After he left Luke said: Lane's in the storage room, I'll go get her."

They both came back a few seconds later.

"Lorelai, congratulations." Lane said, giving Lorelai a hug. "Luke told me about the engagement this morning."

"Thank you." Lorelai smiled. "You have anything to do on New Years eve?"

"No, sadly enough I don't. Why you're asking. Oh wait, that's when the wedding is right?"

"Yes. We where wondering if you and the band could come and play a few songs. We're having a party at the inn and inside it's covered but we'd love to have some life music during the actual wedding."

"Yes yes yes. We'd love to!! Oh, I have to ask Zack and Brian and Gil, but I'm sure they want to."

"So that's settled." Luke said.

"What do you want me to do?" Emily asked.

"I was hoping you and Rory could make the quest list and the invitations. And I would love you to come with me for the dress shopping tonight."

"I would love to."

"Good, that's settled. Rory you know who we want to invite. Luke and I will go trough the list tonight and than tomorrow we can send the invitations. I'll ask the staff at inn to do the decorations. Am I missing something?"

"Well," Emily said, "You've got an engagement ring, but you do need wedding rings also."

"You're right. We need those. Luke, you and I go shopping tomorrow."

"I don't want to wear a wedding ring."

"That one isn't negotiable mister."

"Fine, we'll go."

"Thank you." She leaned in to kiss him.

With that, the most important things where discussed. They finished their lunch and all went back to work, Lorelai to the inn, Luke and Lane to serving customers and preparing for the dinner rush, and Emily and Rory with the invitations and the quest list. There isn't much time to plan the wedding, but it already promised to be a wedding nobody would forget any time soon.


	18. Preparations

_A/N Like I promised, a lot faster than the past few chapters. Nobody mentioned the spell check in the reviews so I figured that it didn't really matter. If there is anyone who thinks differently just let me know.  
Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I didn't realized how many people where reading my story till I saw my stats a few days ago. You guys really know how to make me happy, all of you!!_

**Chapter 18 Preparations **

Lorelai walked into the house at 6 o clock that evening. She found Rory and her mother working on the quest list in the kitchen.

"Hey, how is it going? You're almost ready?"

Rory looked up "Hey mom. Yeah, we're just checking to see if we're missing someone."

"Okay. That's great! I'm going upstairs and change. After that we can stop by at Luke's, grab some dinner and drive to the dress shop."

"Sounds like a great plan. Just hurry, we have to leave in 45 minutes."

"I know. I'll try to be fast."

She kept her promise. She walked back into the kitchen 5 minutes later. "I'm ready. You guys ready to?"

"Wow, that must be a record." Rory smiled at her mother.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it." Lorelai smiled back.

"Lorelai, we finished the quest list. If you and Luke find some time to check it today, we can send the invitations tomorrow."

"Thanks mom, Rory. It depends on what time we're back tonight, but if we can we'll do it today, otherwise we'll do it tomorrow morning."

"I have 3 different kind of invitations picked out at." Emily handed them to her daughter. "You just have to pick the one you like most, than I can get them printed first thing tomorrow."

"How did you do that?"

"I pulled some strengths. I've done these things for your father for almost 40 years, so I know how to handle them."

"It's amazing." She looked at the cards. "Personally I prefer this one, but we have to show them to Luke and see what he thinks." She handed the card to her mother.

"That's my one favourite also."

"Let's go, otherwise we're going to be late."

Luke smiled when he noticed Lorelai entering his diner. He walked towards her and kissed her. "How was your day?"

"Busy, as always." She looked into her purse and pulled out the wedding invitations. "My mother picked those up. We have to choose one so she can have them printed tomorrow. They also finished the quest list. All we have to do is go trough it and see if someone's missing."

Luke looked at the cards. "Which one do you prefer?"

"I'll tell you after you told me."

"I don't really care, I like them all, you pick."

"Come on Luke, there must be one you like more."

"But…" He stopped when he saw the look on her face. "Alright this one." He handed her the same card she had picked out earlier.

"That's the one I preferred also."

"Well, than it's set. You came in to drop of the cards or you want dinner before you leave."

"Again, do you have to ask?" She smiled.

"I guess not." He smiled back.

Emily parked the car in front of the bridal shop about 5 minutes early. The owner of the store was already expecting them. They where about to ring the door bell when she opened it.

"Hi, welcome, come in" The blond woman shook Lorelai's hand. They where about the same age. "My name is Allison Davis, but you can call me Ally"

"Nice to meet you Ally, my name is Lorelai. This is my daughter Rory, and this is my mother Emily."

"I believe I talked to you over the phone this morning?" Ally asked as she shook Rory's hand.

"Yes, I really appreciate your helping us like this."

"I'm glad I can help. A wedding is every girls dream and it's usually a lot of stress and planning. If understand correctly the wedding is only a few days away?"

"The wedding is on new years eve." Emily replied, shaking Ally's hand.

"Well, than we have to find you girls a dress soon. There's probably a lot of other things that need to be arranged."

"Yes, but I have the best team." Lorelai smiled.

"I can see that."

"My daughter mentioned you have dresses in maternity size?"

"That's our specialty. I got married myself 5 years ago. My husband proposed and a few days after I found out I was pregnant. We tried to get married as fast as possible but my father got sick so we had to postpone. I wanted to be married before our baby was born, so I was about 7 months pregnant when the wedding took place. It took me forever to find a dress that fit me, and it still wasn't perfect.  
3 years ago my best friend had the same problem. After that we decided to open a store for woman in the same situation we where in. We run the store together and are able to take care of our children at the same time. My son is going to kindergarten now but I have also have a 7 month old daughter, and my friend's daughter is almost 3 years old now."

"I'm very glad you decided to open this store. I hope you have the perfect dress for me."

"Well, let's check it out shall we?"

Ally showed them some dresses. Lorelai picked out 3 different dresses she liked. She tried them on and showed them to the others.

"What do you think?" Ally asked when Lorelai showed the third dress.

"I don't know, really. It looked better when I didn't had it on."

"What kind of dress did you had in mind before you came in here?"

"Uhm… I don't know."  
"I bet you gave it some thought." Ally smiled. "Every woman does."

"Okay, I have thought about it." Lorelai closed her eyes. "The dress has to be simple but elegant. The colour… light, but not white because that would be totally out of line…" Lorelai opened her eyes and looked at Ally with hope in her eyes.

Ally smiled. "I think I have the dress you are looking for. Wait a minute, I'll be right back." She left and came back, holding a box in her hands. She put the box down and opened it. She pulled out the dress. "This one just came in this morning. I ordered it last week, and lucky for you it's right your size."

Lorelai took the dress over and walked into the changing room. She came out about 5 minutes later. She turned around to look at herself in the mirror and immediately tears filled her eyes. "Wow, this dress is amazing."

"Lorelai, you look beautiful." Emily had to wipe away some tears herself.

"You think?" Lorelai looked around to face her mother.

"Absolutely. This dress fits you perfectly."

"She's right mom, you look absolutely amazing."

"Do you think Luke will like it?"

"Oh mom, do you even have to ask. He'll love it! This dress is totally you, there is no woman who would fit this dress better than you."

"I agree." Lorelai looked at Ally. "You can try on every other dress in my store, but you won't feel the same as you feel in this dress. A woman knows when a dress is perfect. The tears in your eyes prove it."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Every single woman who bought a dress in here had tears in here eyes when she found the perfect dress, just like you have now."

"You think it fits perfect?"

Ally looked a little closer. She walked around Lorelai. "Let's just… I'll be right back." She walked into the back again and came back with a sowing kit. "Since the wedding will be within a few days I'm able to take it in just a little bit. You have a little extra fabric right here on the sides." She put a few stitches in the dress. "There you go, now it's even more than perfect."

Lorelai looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes filling with tears again. "Perfect, just perfect. Now all I need is some shoes. Do you have those to?"

"Yes, follow me." They followed Ally to the other side of the store. "Here you go."

Lorelai found the shoes that matched her dress perfectly. They where white, a little heel, not to high because it was hard to walk on heels while she was pregnant. But as she tried the shoes on she knew this where shoes she could where for an entire evening without feeling her back in the end. She looked at herself in the mirror again.

Emily walked up behind Lorelai and untied her hair, hanging it loosely over her shoulders. "This is what you will look like at your wedding day. This is going to be the most beautiful day in your life."

"I know. Mom, thanks for being here with me. It means a lot to me."

"It means a lot to me too. This is the day I dreamed about since the day you where born. And being a part of it, I can't describe how that makes me feel." She had to wipe away a tear from here eyes again. "Oh my, look at me, and it's not even the actual wedding yet."

Lorelai turned around and hugged her mother. "Thank you." When they pulled apart Lorelai looked at Ally "Do you have brides maids dresses also?"

"Yes. In every size, both maternity as regular. Let me show you."

Luke was home already when they walked in. "Hey, how did it go?" He stood up to kiss Lorelai.

"I found the perfect dress for myself and the perfect dresses for the brides maids."

"Show me."

"Nice try mister, you'll have to wait a few more days before you can see me in my dress walking down the isle."

"I can't wait." He smiled at her.

"Me neither." She kissed him again.

"I'm going home now." Lorelai turned around. She totally forgot about her mother. "You can stay if you want."

"No, that's okay."

"But you're coming back again tomorrow anyway."

"I know, but I have to get the invitations printed anyway. Speaking of those…." She walked into the kitchen and came back with a couple of papers. "This is the quest list." She handed them to Luke. "And this is the text Rory and I wrote down for the invitations. I don't know what you think?"

Lorelai sat down, Luke next to her. They read the text a few times and discussed it. They made a few adjustments and handed the paper to Emily. "This is the way we'd like to have it."

Emily read it. "Perfect." She smiled. "I see you guys tomorrow."

Lorelai kissed her mothers cheek. "See you tomorrow mom, and thanks for today."

"Thank you Lorelai." Emily smiled. She kissed Rory's cheek and gave Luke a hand before she walked outside towards her car.

Lorelai woke up early the next morning. She was surprised to see Luke awake already. He was watching her with a big grin on his face. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"You should see yourself in the mirror." She laughed out loud when she said it.

"I'm just happy." He leaned in to kiss her. When he pulled apart after a while he whispered. "Good morning."

She kissed him again before replying. "Good morning." She turned around to see what time it was. "Why am I awake at this hour? It is 6 am. And why are you still here? Aren't you supposed to open the diner at this particular time?

"First, I have no idea why you are awake. I've been awake for a while now, but it's still early. There are a few busy days in front of us so you better get some sleep while you still can. Second, Caesar is opening today."

"Oh…" She let herself drop in the pillows again. She brought her hands to her face and cried: "Aghh…"

Luke watched her with a smile on his face. "You want to go back to sleep?"

"Nah, it wouldn't work anyway. I believe it's the fault of your child, it has to much of your genes."

"The baby is keeping you awake?"

She replied by taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. Luke smiled "Wow, there's a lot of activity going on in there. It's amazing."

"It would be if it wasn't at this hour." She sounded grumpy. It was a lie though. She loved feeling the movements of the baby inside her. The first time she felt the baby kick was a morning a few months ago. Luke was just about to leave when she started smiling. He asked her what was going on and she had placed his hand on her abdomen, just like she did now. They had to wait a while before the baby kicked again, but the smile on his face when he felt it was the most beautiful one she had ever seen.  
Sometimes it was exhausting, especially when the baby kept her awake for hours during the night, but she loved the feeling of the moment. Most of the time it wasn't until later she regretted the missed sleep, when she felt exhausted at work. Once, she actually fell asleep in her office. Sookie had found her and sent her home.

The stores where about to open when Luke and Lorelai arrived at the mall that morning. They had spent most of the time in bed. They checked the quest list once more and made a 'to do' list. Rory was already awake when they left and promised to look into the list and see if there was anything she could do.

"Can I help you?" The jeweller asked when they entered the store.

"I think so." Luke replied. "We're looking for wedding rings."

"Ah yes." The man replied. He walked behind the counter and pulled out a few boxes. "This is our collecting. Do you have anything in mind already?"

"Not really." Lorelai replied.

"Well, just look at them and see what you like."

Lorelai pointed at a set of rings. "I like those."

Luke stood next to her and looked where she pointed. The jeweller replied by telling her it was an excellent choice. Lorelai looked at Luke and noticed the annoyed look on his face. Luckily someone else entered the store. "Do you mind if I help the other customer while you look around?"

"Not at all," Luke replied with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

When the jeweller arrived a few minutes later Luke and Lorelai had already made a choice. They choose 2 simple matching rings made of white gold.

"We'd like to have these." Lorelai handed the rings to the jeweller.

"Excellent choice. We have to check the sizes and write down what you want to have engraved in the rings."

"We have one question. How long will it take to have the rings ready, engraved and all?"

"It usually takes about a week, during this season it could take a few more days."

"That won't work for us. We're getting married in 3 days. Is there any change you can have them ready before that?"

"There's a lot of work, but I think I can make an exception."

"That would be wonderful."

The jeweller tested their sizes and wrote down the lines for the inscription. He looked up at Lorelai after he finished: "Did you notice your fingers swelling up because of the pregnancy?"

"What?" Luke looked angry at him.

Lorelai took his hand and squeezed it. "It's a normal question Luke" She whispered. To the man she said "No, they haven't changed a bit."

"Good. A lot of women do swell up, and if you buy a ring now that fits perfectly there will be a big change it won't fit anymore after you gave birth. That's why I had to ask."

Luke just nodded. "Do we have to pay in advanced or when we pick up the rings?"

"You have to make a deposit and pay the rest when you pick them up."

Luke nodded again and handed him his card.

When they left the store Luke walked towards the exit immediately.

"Not so fast mister."

Luke turned around with a confused look on his face. "I thought we where leaving. This is a mall. We did what we came here to do, so now we can go home."

"No, we have to get you a suit. You own one suit and you wore it many other times. You're so not wearing that suit to our wedding."

"I know that. But I have to be back at the diner in 30 minutes, besides, I'm not allowed to see what your wearing before you walk down the isle, so you can't see what I'm wearing either."

Lorelai pouted. "But Luke, that's not the way it's supposed to be."

"I don't care. This is the way it is going to be. I promise you that I'm buying myself a new suit, but you're not going to see it."

"But Luuuuke…" She wined.

"No buts, we're leaving."

"But…"

He took her hand in his and leaded her towards the exit. She wanted to protest once more, but decided to give in. Even though she didn't like it, he had a good point.

Luke and Lorelai walked into the house together that night. He had dropped her off at the inn that morning after they came back from the mall, and picked her up again to take her home. Emily was still there when they arrived. Lorelai excused herself to change and Luke went into the kitchen to prepare supper, which was ready at the moment Lorelai walked into the kitchen again.

They all sat down and discussed what they accomplished that day. Emily and Rory delivered all the invitations personally. Kirk offered to help them, but they refused, of course. He was kind of disappointed but they made him happy by handing him an invitation of his own.

Lorelai told about the visit to the mall that morning, not leaving out the part about how Luke and the jeweller where going to be each others best friends in the future. "Hon, maybe you should ask him to be your best man!"

"You say something there."

"What?"

"A best man. I need a best man. You have a maid of honour and bridesmaids, but I need a best man. Who am I going to ask?"

"You could ask Kirk." Luke looked confused at Rory when she said that, but when he saw the big smile her face was showing he knew it was a joke.

"Yeah hon." Lorelai added. "He has to be the best friend you have. I think you saw him every day since the day you opened the diner."

"Ah geez."

"Who did you imagined to be your best man when you where younger?" Lorelai was serious now.

"I don't know… till he past away that would have been my father. But after that, I never really thought about it. I mean, I have friends and all, we hang out with Sookie and Jackson a lot, and there is always TJ, or Jess, but honestly I don't see either one of them as my best man."

"How about Buddy? I mean, on our first date you took me to see him and Maisy. And you told me how you came there 2, 3 days a week. You told me how you've known him your entire life and that he helped you opening the diner. And the diner is where we met so…"

Luke smiled. "I like that. I'll step by there tomorrow and ask him."

After dinner Emily stood up to leave. "I'll step by again tomorrow."

"Most of the work is already done here. You've already been a great help, I'm not sure what's left for you to do. The inn staff will do the decorations and things."

"Maybe I can come by there and see if I can help out. I believe this is a very busy time for them so I'm pretty sure they can use the extra help."

Lorelai wanted to tell her mother that it wasn't necessary but when she looked in her mothers eyes to tell her that, she couldn't. She seemed so happy, Lorelai didn't had the heart to tell her no. "Okay mom, I'll see you tomorrow."

At 7.30 pm the doorbell rang. Luke stood up and opened the front door. The man standing in front of it was in his late fifties. He was wearing a grey trench coat. The coat was open and revealed a brown suit underneath it, a pair of glasses reaching out of the front pocket. His grey hair was brushed to the left.

Luke shook his hand. "Hello, my name is Luke Danes. Please come in."

The minister handed Luke his coat, and followed Luke inside after he hang it.

"This is my fiancée, Lorelai Gilmore."

"Phillip Greene, nice to meet you." He shake Lorelai's hand.

"Nice to meet you too. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Yes please."

"I'll get it." As Luke walked away Rory entered the living room.

"This is my daughter Rory."

"Nice to meet you Rory."

"Nice to meet you too, sir. I'm very happy you're willing to help my mother and Luke."

"So, you're happy they are getting married?"

"Absolutely. This has been my dream for years now. Even before my mom and Luke started dating." Rory glanced at her mother while she said it. "I'm very glad the wedding will take place this soon. They where talking about July in the first place, but decided otherwise. I'm studying in London this year and I'm home just for the holidays. I have to leave again on Sunday, unfortunately. But this vacation turned out the best one I ever had."

"I'm very glad to hear that Rory. I find it very important that if there are any children involved, they approve the wedding."

"I definitely do!"

"So, if I understand correctly, you want to plan the ceremony this way, that you will be married at midnight exact?" Phillip repeated Lorelai's words.

"Yes, if you think that is possible."

"I've never done it before, but if we make sure we have enough time, it shouldn't be any problem. I just have to say the 'I pronounce you ..' line just in time. It could be that we have to wait for a little while before I say it, but I don't think it should give any problems."

"Do you have any problems with it being an outside wedding?"

"No, I've done more outside weddings at this time of the year. I find them very special. I just have one request. Since the day I got married I never spent a holiday apart from my wife. Normally I don't work these days but you seem like a very special couple to me, so I talked to her and she told me to do it. But I saw a little sadness in her eyes when she thought about me not being there for New Years."

"Why don't you bring her with you?"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not. We'd love for her to come."

The minister wrote down parts of their history so he could make a story out of it for the ceremony. When he left Lorelai realized how tired she was. Luke noticed it too.

"We should get to bed now. We still have some very busy days in front of us."

"Yeah. I'm hoping our baby let us sleep in a little for once, though."

Luke smiled. He lowered himself and talked to her abdomen: "If you don't let your mommy sleep in a little tomorrow you will be grounded for two months."

Lorelai smiled. "I hope he'll stay in there for the next two months, a month and a half at least."

He looked up "Me too." Than he spoke to the baby again "So you better stay in there for a while and let your mommy sleep in. She gets very grumpy if you wake her up early and your daddy has to deal with it while you're safe inside there."

Lorelai took his hand and pulled him up. "Come here silly man."

"That's what you do to me. The more time I spent with you, the grazier I behave."

"I know, it's a disease." She smiled.

"I guess so, and it obviously is very contagious."

"It was a good day wasn't it?" She was serious now.

"Yeah it was."

"It's really going to happen."

"Yes it is."

"I still can't believe it."

"You better believe it." He kissed her. After a few seconds he pulled apart and took her hand, leading her upstairs.


	19. Every girls dream

_A/N: Sorry it took a while to update. I appreciate all the reviews you gave me. I still don't have a new beta. The thing with my cousin didn't really worked out, as you might have figured out already, so this one is just me. Some of you think it's important if I just update and don't care about my grammar, others recommend me to find a new beta. Just tell me if you want to help me, I'd be honoured, but make sure you have the time to do it, because I'm not the kind of person that can wait for a few weeks before I can post a chapter. _

**Chapter 19 Every girls dream**

It was 10 o clock, 31st of December, year 2005. The guests started to arrive for the last wedding of the year. Or the first wedding of the year 2006, depends on how you see it.  
The preparations for the wedding went very well. Emily spent most of her time in Stars Hallow helping out. She and Rory were walking around the inn once more to see if there was anything left to do. Everything looked perfect though. The guests seemed to enjoy themselves and everything was set in place.

They went upstairs were Lorelai was already busy to prepare herself when her cell phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

Lorelai smiled at the sound of Luke's voice. "What's up?"

"Nothings up. Just checking if you still want to go trough with this."

"Absolutely." Her smiled went bigger. "But I hope you haven't changed your mind."

"No way. I've been waiting for this day way to long to walk away now."

"Good."

"So I see you walking down the aisle in a little less than a hour and a half?"

"You bet!"

"Good, that's all I needed to know."

"Hey Luke, are you nervous?"

"Not at all."

"Good. Hey, don't forget I love you."

"I love you too Lorelai." And with that he hung up.

The truth was Luke is very nervous. He had never been so nervous his entire life. But the sound of her voice, and the confidence she had in it, made it a little better. He turned around when he heard someone knock on his door.

"Come in."

Buddy entered the room. "How are you son?"

"Just a little nervous, that's all."

"That's natural. I remember how nervous your father was at his wedding day. That day he still couldn't believe your mother wanted to marry him. He was so afraid she'd abandon him at the altar. It wasn't the thought of spending the rest of her life with him that made him so nervous, it was the thought of spending his life without her."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you the same thing I told him back than. She loves you Luke. She said yes to your proposal because there is no day in her life she wants to spend apart from you. And you know this is the right thing. You knew it the first time you looked her in the eyes. And you'll know when you see her walking towards you. Her eyes will be fixed on you. Her smile will be bigger then you have ever seen, and she will be more beautiful then you could ever imagine. And you know that it's right."

"I hope so."

"I was right when I told your father."

"Well, that's true." Luke managed to smile.

Lorelai was having the same kind of conversation with her mother. Rory went to check on some more things, leaving the two of them alone for a while.

"Mom, how do you know this is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Were you nervous on your wedding day?"

"Yes, I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life."

"Really?"

"Yes. While I was planning my wedding I knew it was the right thing and then there is this time, right before the ceremony started. It was the first time I could sit down and think. That's when I realized what it meant. You are spending the rest of your life with that man. You're having children and you think, what if it doesn't turn out the way I expect?"

"What did you do?" Lorelai looked at her mother curiously.

"I realized that you can't predict the future. I realized that we were the future and that we were supposed to make it work, together. And I knew how much I loved Richard and I knew that love was growing every time I saw him. That's when I knew that it was the right thing. That I had nothing to be nervous about."

"Wow."

"A few weeks later your father told me he was just as nervous as I was at the day of our wedding."

"Do you think Luke is nervous too?"

"Why do you think he called you?"

"I never thought about that. I guess he was really checking to see if I wouldn't leave him standing at the altar."

"Exactly."

"Wow, I never really thought he would be nervous. But then again, it doesn't sound so crazy at all."

"The dress is really beautiful." Emily changed the subject. "I have something for you." She pulled a little box out of her purse.

"What is it?"

"Just open it."

With her fingers a little shaky Lorelai opened the box and pulled out a beautiful necklace and matching earrings. "Oh, mom, this is beautiful."

"My mother gave it to me at my wedding day, and I want you to have it. You don't have to wear it now, if you don't want to. It's just a gift I thought you should have."

"Can you help me put it on?" Lorelai looked at her mother.

"Of course." Emily smiled and helped her daughter with the necklace. Lorelai could do the earrings herself.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you mom. This means a lot to me. All of this. You've done so much for me the past few days and it shows me that you really approve this. That you approve Luke. That's what I wanted my whole life, that you approve me." A few tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh honey, I approve you. And now stop crying. You shouldn't be crying on your wedding day."

"I thought that was the only day you are actually allowed to cry."

Emily smiled and kissed her daughters forehead. "I love you Lorelai."

"I love you too mom."

It was 11.30 p.m. The guests were sitting in the garden of the Dragon fly inn. The garden was decorated with huge flowers. Light of candles and little camp fires made it look even more special, and another benefit was the warmth provided by it. Behind the altar was a big clock so everybody can see when the new year starts. The floor was covered in snow and the snow was still falling down from the sky slowly.

Lanes band was set up at the side. Luke was standing at the altar. Buddy stood by his side. Emily was sitting on the front row, next to Maisy. Both woman looked so proud. The rest of the guests were sitting on both sites of the aisle. Even the Dragonfly inn guests had come out to witness the wedding. Because they were here Michel could attend too. He was sitting second row, just behind Emily and Maisy and he was already wiping away some tears from his eyes, hoping nobody noticed.

The band started playing and everybody turned around. The bridesmaids started walking down the aisle. Luke smiled when he saw Rory. The smile on her face told him that she was more then okay with this. He felt the nervous washing away a little bit already.

When the bridesmaids gathered themselves around the altar, the music changed. Luke hold his breath when he saw her appear. Her arm was linked trough her fathers as they slowly, on the beat of the music, walked down the aisle. Lorelai heard everybody whisper how beautiful she looked but all she saw was Luke. Their eyes were locked and they both smiled. All the sudden the nervous were gone.

Richard kissed his daughters cheek and shook Luke's hand, wishing them both good luck. Luke took Lorelai's hand and whispered "You look beautiful. That dress, it's amazing!"

"You look pretty good yourself. You have an excellent taste in suits."

He smiled at this. "You nervous?"

"No, not anymore. This is what I've been waiting for, for a very long time. How about you?"

"I was until I saw you walking down the aisle. Now I know there is no reason to be nervous. Buddy was right?"

"What?"

"I tell you later."

"Uh Uhm." This was the third time the minister tried to interrupt the happy couple.

"Oh sorry." Lorelai smiled and the crowd started laughing.

"Okay, let's start this. Welcome everybody. My name is Phillip Greene. Today, at the last day of this year we've come together to make the relationship of these two people official. Luke and Lorelai asked us all together to come here and witness one of the most beautiful days of their lives. This isn't the first, and it won't be the last, but this one is special.  
They asked us to come here to this specific location. This is the location were they shared their first kiss. That day more then one and a half years ago. The day of the test run of the Dragonfly inn. That night they stood there on the porch and they kissed. It was a first kiss of many to come. A special kiss.

Lorelai felt her eyes well up with tears.

A few days ago, on Christmas eve Luke asked Lorelai if she wants to become his wife. She had no doubts and said 'Yes.' They decided that they didn't wanted to waste any more time. Most of you know the story behind this couple. And so you must know that they loved each other for a long time before they shared that first kiss. At this special day, they made us come together and share their love with us.

When I met this couple, I also met Rory. Rory told me how happy she is that her mother and Luke finally decided to get married. She also told me that they wanted to wait a little more in the first place, but decided that enough waiting has been done. So today we won't only celebrate a new year, but we will celebrate a new life. Married life. Who can better describe the love they feel for each other, then the couple itself. So I want to give the word to Luke. Luke, go ahead."

He took both Lorelai's hands in his and looked her deeply in the eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to forget about everyone around him but her. After another deep breath he started:  
"Lorelai, this whole week I've been thinking about what I want to tell you. I'm not a guy who expresses his feelings in words easily. You already know how much I love you and for how long I have loved you. You already know that there is no place in the world I would rather be then with you, right here, right now. You already know, that every morning I wake up next to you, the day can't be ruined anymore. You already know me.  
I think you're the only person that has ever known me so well and that's what scared me for a while. But then I realized that is what makes you and me different from the relationships I had before. Knowing that you know me and you didn't ran away, that's what makes me love you so much. And that's what makes me want to spent the rest of my life with you."

Lorelai knew how hard this was for him. He had a hard time telling her these things when it was just the two of them, in private. And know he had to speak in public, surrounded by all their friends and family members. That's what made these words even more special than they already were.

She had to wipe away the tears and take a deep breath before she could say the words she had prepared herself.

"Luke, for years you have been my best friend. You were one of the few people I knew I could always count on. You gave me food and coffee. You fixed stuff around my house. You listened to me if I needed someone to talk to. You drove me to the hospital when my father needed you. You gave me a place to sleep when the independence inn burned down. You helped me to move all Rory's stuff to Yale. You helped me out when I needed the money to finish the Dragonfly. Not once you doubted before you did those things for me, and not once you complained. Yes, if I asked for a sixth refill of coffee you tried to sneak me decaf sometimes or told me it could kill me, but in the end you would give it to me anyway.

I don't know how I could be blind for so long. I was afraid that if I started dating my best friend, and I screwed it up, I would loose him. I would loose you. But I forgot that your best friend is the best guy you can date. Having my best friends as my boyfriend, and lately my fiancée and soon as my husband, that's the best thing, besides Rory of course, that ever happened to me. I love you Luke, and I promise you that I will always love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her.

Phillip checked his watch. Only 5 more minutes before midnight.

"Those beautiful words mean a lot more than any of us can imagine. There are only a few minutes left so we have to go on with the ceremony right away.

Lukas Danes, do you take this woman, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in heath, for richer and for poorer, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, do you take this man, Lukas Danes, to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"The rings please."

Buddy handed the rings to the minister. "People have been wearing wedding rings since the Roman time. They believed that the vein in the finger runs directly into the heart. A ring is a never ending circle and it symbolizes everlasting love." He handed the ring to Luke who slipped it over Lorelai's finger.

"Okay Lorelai, this one is for you." He handed the ring to her.

Lorelai looked Luke in his eyes while she slid the ring over his finger.

"Phillip turned around to the clock. Very slowly he said "I now pronounce you husband and wife." At the same time the clock went to twelve o clock exact. "Happy new year everybody!"

Fireworks filled the sky while Luke and Lorelai kissed. It was the first kiss of the year and the first kiss they shared as a married couple.

Everybody started a line to congratulate the couple. First Rory, then Richard and Emily and Buddy and Maisy, Liz and TJ, Jess, Sookie and Jackson, Michel and all the other guests. After they walked by the couple they went inside were the party was. The food was already set up and the band started playing as soon as the first guests arrived.

In the end Luke and Lorelai were the only once left outside. "So, this is it." Luke smiled.

"You were nervous."

"Never been more nervous in my life." He admitted.

"What did Buddy tell you?"

He smiled "I wondered how long it would take you to bring that up. He told me that it's natural to be nervous and that my father was just as nervous on his wedding day. And he also told me that the nerves would go away when I saw you walking down the aisle, and he was right."

"Wow."

"So, were you nervous?"

"Yeah, I had the same kind of conversation with my mother, who told me she was nervous too. She told meshe was afraid what the future would take her, but she realized that she and dad were the future. They had to create it and that made it a little less scared for her. After that she changed the subject and gave me the necklace and earrings. Her mother gave them to her on her wedding day."

"They are beautiful."

"Yeah, I hope I can give them to Rory one day on her wedding day."

"I know you will."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"We have to get inside."

"Do we really? Can't we stay here instead, just the two of us?"

"Well, I have a feeling we will be missed."

"Was it anything like you expected it to be?"

"It was perfect."

"Really?"

"Absolutely, how was it for you?"

"Well, I hated being in the centre of the attention, but it was really special. I can't believe we're actually married now."

"Better believe it mister." She kissed him.

After he pulled back he noticed she was shivering. "You're cold."

"Just a little."

"Let's go inside."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He took her hand and together they entered the Dragonfly. Everybody started to applause the moment they walked in.

The band started playing and Luke directed Lorelai to the dance floor.

"But you hate dancing."

"Well, they expect us to dance anyway, and I know you love to dance."

"I feel very special."

They moved around the dance floor slowly and more people started to dance around them. Soon the floor was completely filled with people and the party was officially started.

After a few songs Rory asked the band if she could say something. The lead singer gave her a his microphone.

"Mom, Luke, I wanted to be the first one to bring out a toast. This day has been the best day of my life, and trust me, there has been some very good once. This is the day I've been dreaming of for years now. I'm happy it finally came and I must say it's better then I ever imagined. This is a big step for the both of you and there will only be a few weeks till your lives will change again. But I know you will be great parents for the baby, and I can tell from experience."

She smiled and Lorelai had to wipe away a few tears. "Mom, Luke, I am so proud of being here today and hate that I have to leave again tomorrow. Or today actually." She pushed away the sadness that threatened to take over. "Let's not talk about that now, this is a party. All I really want to say is that I love you guys."

Lorelai pulled her daughter off the podium and hugged her. "I love you to babe."

Rory hugged Luke. It didn't even made him feel unconvertible anymore. He was starting to get used to it. "I love you Rory."

Richard was the next one on the podium. "There was a time when I thought this day would never come. I'm glad I was wrong. Her mother and I have never been more proud. Lorelai, Luke, I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"Thanks dad." Lorelai whispered at her father.

"I love you Lorelai."

"I love you too dad."

After Richard there were a lot more people who wanted to say something to Luke and Lorelai. They each took a turn and after the last one finished talking, the band started playing again. Luke and Lorelai danced, they talked, they laughed and didn't noticed how exhausted they were. This was, without a doubt, the best day in their lives.


	20. Leaving again

_A/N I'm happy to tell you I have a new beta! So, thank you LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proof reading this chapter and correcting my spelling and grammar mistakes! _

**Chapter 20 Leaving again**

The alarm clock woke Luke up the next day. They hadn't been home until 5.30 that morning. Both, him and Lorelai were exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately. It had been a very busy day, but one that the both of them would never forget again.  
After only 3 hours of sleep the alarm clock went of. Luke turned it off and looked at Lorelai. He smiled. This was the first night together as a married couple. He woke up next to his wife. He had no idea that it would feel that good.

Lorelai opened her eyes when she felt his lips on her forehead. She smiled at him "Hey."

"Hey beautiful."

"Why are we awake, it's freaking early."

"Well…" He didn't continue because she knew why he was awake.

"I wish we could just stay here. The past week has been amazing. We spent a lot of time together and I really missed this. Her leaving again will be even worse than when she had to leave the first time."

"I know, but she has no choice has she?"

Lorelai sighed. "I know that, but it still sucks."

"Yes it does."

"Can't we just accidentally make her miss the plane, then she has no choice but to stay."

"It's London were she's going to. There are like 5 planes going there every day."

"Oh… yeah… forgot about that."

"It's June before you know it, and you can spent the entire summer together before she goes back to Yale."

"Half a year Luke, that's six months, which is 26 weeks which is … many days and even more hours and like a bazillion seconds.…"

He kissed her and pulled her into his arms. He tried to think of something to say that would make six months look not that long, but he couldn't think of anything, so he just held her for a while.

After a while she was the first one to speak. "I think I'm going to take a shower. I need more time than you do, so you go downstairs, see if Rory is awake and prepare breakfast, I'll be down as soon as I can. Than after breakfast I'll do the whole making up thing, cause after this short night I must look like hell and you and Rory can take turns showering. After that we can drive to New York, and do you know what. Rory already said goodbye to all the people, so that saves us some time."

He nodded and kissed her forehead before he stepped out of bed to put some clothes on.

Downstairs Luke found Rory already dressed, reading a magazine.

"Wow, you're up early."

Rory looked up. "Hey, morning Luke."

"How long have you been awake?"

"To tell you the truth I haven't slept at all. I tried but I started thinking of everything I still had to do, so sleep wouldn't catch in. I realized I could just stay awake, this way I'll sleep in the plane tonight and it won't seem so long. So I got out, took a shower and started packing my things. I just finished everything I wanted to do, so I found myself a magazine."

"You're mom's in the shower now. She sent me down to make some breakfast. So, what would you like to have?"

"Pancakes and some eggs?"

"Pancakes and eggs it is."

After a while Rory entered the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table while Luke was backing the pancakes.

"Luke, do you think mom will go back to the way she was after I left the first time?"

"I don't know." He sighed. He turned the gas down, put his spatula on the kitchen sink and sat down next to Rory. "Listen, don't worry about your mother to much. Things will work out. She's going to miss you, and you'll miss her, too. But she will be okay. The first few days will be hard, but she will get used to it again. It's only a month and a half till the baby gets born and there are still a lot of things that need to be done, so I think she'll have enough distraction. You made it through the first few months and you will make it through the last months, too."

"I know… but I'm going to miss all the good things Luke, with the baby and all…"

"We already had this conversation the first time you left. We promised you to tape all the good moments, so you'll indirectly be a part of them. And there will be a lot of other good parts when you get back."

"But it won't be the same."

"No it won't." Both Luke and Lorelai turned around when they heard Lorelai's voice.

"You're fast today mom."

"Well, that's what I tried."

"How long were you here?"

"Long enough to hear most of the conversation."

"Oh…"

"Honey, even when you are here, you're in New Haven most of the time. We can't call you if the baby laughs the first time, because it will be over the first time you get here. There will be some things you will hear or see him or her do for the first time, but it will be a coincidence if you are here at the moment. You are going to be a part of this babies life. But you can't be there for everything. Even Luke and I can't. And that's hard but we have to live with it. We don't really have a choice."

"Did you missed things with me?"

"Yes of course, you weren't with me 24 hours a day. You spent a lot of time with me when you were a baby, but the bigger you got, the more time we spent apart. You went to school and came home telling me things you did that day. Or your teacher told me on a parental meeting. It was nice to hear those things, but it would have been better to see them."

"Oh.."

Luke stood up and went back to his pancakes.

"Rory, I know that after this week it's really hard to go back again. To know that we have to be apart for another 6 months, but there is no way you're staying here. This program is amazing, and you love it there. And I'm going to miss you a lot, but we have to live with it. You want to be a reporter. What do you want to do, only cover stories in Stars Hallow? Because you don't even have to go back to Yale if you want to do that. I'm pretty sure the local paper will give you a job right away."

"No, I don't want to work in Stars Hallow…." She paused…. "I guess you're right."

"Haven't you learnt that by now?"

"I should have huh?" Rory smiled.

"Absolutely." Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug. "I love you babe, and I'm really going to miss you."

"I love you too, mom."

Lorelai pulled back so she could look into her daughter's eyes. "I want you to know that I'm really proud of you."

"I already know that mom."

"Good, but I just had to tell you."

"Why?"

"Well, after the time I spent with my mother the past week, I realized what I missed all these years. It's the first time we did something together like that. It's the first time she approved something I was doing and she even approved the way I was doing it. She did everything I asked her to do, the exact way I wanted her to do it. Not once she told me that I had to do something differently, or said that what I was doing wasn't appropriate."

"You're nothing like her, in that respect, mom. You always told me you are proud of me, and most of the time you approve the things I'm doing. Of course, there were some things you didn't approve, but that's natural. You're the best mother any person can wish for. I am very lucky to have you, and the baby is very lucky to have you, too."

"Thanks hon."

Luke watched them while he was turning the pancakes around. He couldn't help but smile and he knew his wife was going to be okay this time. Of course she would miss Rory again a lot, but things wouldn't be like they were the last time.

"Hey mom?" Rory said after a while.

"What is it babe?"

"Why don't you come with me, to London. Like a honeymoon?"

Lorelai thought for a while before she replied. "Even though that sounds absolutely wonderful, you know we can't. In the first place I have to work. Michel covered for me a lot the last week and he needs some time off. Sookie has the kids and I need time for myself when the baby is born. Luke has the same problem with the diner. But even if we could get some time of from work, I still couldn't go."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm in my third trimester. You can't fly anymore if you're in your third trimester. Even though I believe they have great hospitals in London, if I would go into labour early, I don't like the thought of giving birth in an airplane…" She stopped and started smiling. "Hey, maybe that won't be so crazy after all. We can have the baby in the middle of the aisle and Luke can deliver the baby, and you can assist, and it will be in every newspaper. Maybe I should give Michel a call and we can go to London for a week or so."

"No way." Luke walked towards her. "We're staying right here. Sorry Rory, but it's not going to happen."

"But Luke…" Lorelai wined.

"Not a change."

"But…."

Luke took the pancakes of the stove and threw them on a plate. "Don't even think about it Lorelai. Eat your pancakes."

After Rory had checked in, it was time to say goodbye again. There wasn't much time, because the traffic had been bad on the way to the airport. A lot of people were travelling over New Years eve.

"I have to go now."

"I know, call me when you get there again okay, no matter what time."

"Okay mom, I will."

"I love you kiddo."

"I love you too, mom."

Rory turned to Luke and hugged him. "Thanks Luke."

He didn't had to ask what for. "It's okay, I love you kid."

"I love you too, Luke."

He kissed her forehead. After that she let go and turned to her mother once more. "Take care of that little sibling of mine."

"I will. And you promise me you won't hook up with a cute English boy, cause I expect you to come home in June, and go back to Yale again next year and graduate."

"I promise." Rory smiled.

Lorelai hugged her daughter, as far as possible with the large stomach in the way. She kissed her cheek and let go. "Bye honey."

"Bye mom, bye Luke." Rory walked away and turned around once more to wave.

When they were back in the car, Luke started to drive. After a while he missed the exit they had to take to go back to Stars Hallow.

"Luke, you had to take that exit."

"Which one?"

She pointed back. "That one."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, how many times did you drive here? If you have to take the next one, it will take us half an hour extra."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." He smiled.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Luke!"

He just smiled and turned on the radio.

"Luke!"

He shake his head and kept driving.

Half an hour later he stopped at a place Lorelai had never seen before. It was a small town inn, a little larger than the Dragonfly.

"What are we doing here?"

"I arranged for Michel to take care of the Dragonfly one more day, and Caesar will handle the diner. I know it won't be a huge honeymoon, but it will be one night, just the two of us out of our curious town so we can celebrate our marriage."

"Wow, but I didn't pack any clothes, and…"

"I did. Don't worry, I packed way too much for you, so you have enough choice in what you want to wear."

"Thanks." Lorelai kept smiling. "When did you arrange all this?"

"A few days ago. They still had some rooms available so that wasn't a problem, and I had to pay Michel a little extra so he would cover for you once more."

"Wow, this is really amazing." She kissed him.

When she pulled back he said, "Let's check in shall we."

He helped her out of the car and took their bag out of the trunk. Luke had put Rory's luggage in it, and had taken it out again, as Lorelai isn't allowed to carry heavy things, so she never noticed the extra back.

The concierge was a nice elderly woman. "How may I help you?"

"I have a reservation under the name Danes." Luke answered.  
"Ah yes, Mr. And Mrs. Danes."

Luke nodded and Lorelai smiled at the sound of that. It was the first time someone said it like that, and it sounded really good.

"Let's see, ah, here it is." She handed Luke a paper he had to sign. After he did that she turned around to get the key. "Room 7. I'll walk you up there."

"Thank you."

The woman walked with them and on the way upstairs, she told them everything that was to see in the inn. Upstairs she opened the door to the room and handed Luke the key.

"Have a nice stay, if you need anything you can use the phone in the room to call me. You just have to dial 1. Dinner will be served till 10. Breakfast starts at 8, and will be served till 12, after that we serve lunch."

"Thank you." While Luke and Lorelai walked inside, the woman went back downstairs.

Lorelai admired the room. "Wow, this is beautiful."

Luke looked around too. "It's nothing like the rooms you have at the Dragonfly."

"No, but that's a good thing. This wouldn't have fit in the Dragonfly building, but here it's perfect. If this was my inn, I would have done something like this with the rooms also."

Luke placed the bag on the king size bed, while Lorelai went to check out the bathroom.

"Wow, Luke, come here, see this."

Luke entered the bathroom and noticed why she was so enthusiastic.

"Let's take a bath first, than we can dress up for dinner after that."

"Sounds like a good plan, Luke smiled."

About 10 minutes later they were lying in bathtub together. Lorelai between Luke's legs, leaning up against his chest. Suddenly she realized something. He could feel her tense up. "If we're here, Rory won't be able to call us, she'll get worried, and I won't know if she arrived okay and…"

"Hey, don't worry, I told Rory to call your cell phone, and I took mine as well in case your battery is dead."

He could feel her relax again. "So, you told her we were coming here?"

"Yes, she had to know where she could reach us."

"Yes… thank you." After a few minutes she asked "Luke?"

"Mmm…"

"Yesterday was great, wasn't it?"

"It was perfect."

"Yes, it was perfect."

They talked about their wedding and didn't leave the bathtub until the water got cold. They both changed into some clothes, and Lorelai was happy with everything Luke had brought for her. He had taken so much it was hard for here to make a choice. He was already dressed and shaved before she decided what to put on.

He watched TV while she was getting dressed and put on makeup.

They went down to the dinning room, hand in hand. They sat down at a nice quiet table with a view into the garden. The waiter handed them a menu and took their drinking orders. By the time he brought their drinks, they had made a choice in what they wanted to eat and the waitor took their order.

Luke wasn't sure if it was the right time, but he wanted to bring up the conversation Lorelai had had with Rory that morning. "I've been meaning to tell you how brave I think you were this morning, with the conversation in the kitchen."

"It was hard." She smiled. "But I couldn't let her go back, feeling bad for herself. That wouldn't be good."

"No, I agree."

"So I for once put my own feelings in second place and told her what had to be said to make her feel better."

"Do you really think we'll miss things in our babies life?" This was the direction he wanted to go.

"Yeah, of course. But the things we won't be a part of won't be the things that matter, it will be the things we are a part of that matters."

"And what about the others?"

"Some of them we will be sad about we missed, others we won't. But we can't be with our child 24 hours a day."

"Yeah, that's true."

"We never even really discussed what we're going to do about the baby, after I go back to work."

"I thought we would alternate in taking care of him or her. We can put a play pen in the diner, so some times I can look after her, and we need one in the inn as well, so you can look after the baby some other times. I don't really like the thought of having a nanny, I want to be there to raise our child."

"Me too. I did it with Rory, and most of the time I think it will work."

"Do you think I will be a good father?"

"Do you have to ask?" She laughed.

He was serious though. "Well, you know how I failed with Jess. He never finished high school and he just left."

She noticed he was serious. "Luke, you did a great job with Jess. He was in the middle of puberty when you took him in. You tried so hard and I honestly believe you did everything possible. And he turned okay. He found a place to live, he has a job. He's taking care of himself, and he listens to you. He listened to you when Liz and TJ got married. He came because you asked him to. He came and he thanked you for everything you did."

"Yeah, but still, I feel like I failed him."

"Well honey, you shouldn't have to. And what about Rory? You did a great job with Rory."

"You raised Rory, I didn't."

"She told you this before Luke, and I will tell you now. You've been much more like a father to her than Christopher ever was. She knows it, I know it, and you know it too."

"But…"

"No buts. You are going to be an amazing father. This child is the luckiest child alive because you're its father. And of course you will make a few mistake. I made mistakes with Rory, and I will make mistakes with this baby. But I believe making mistakes is the way to learn how to be a good parent. You learn from the mistakes your parents made with you, and you'll learn from the once you'll make yourself. And the smaller the child is, the better it is to make a mistake because than the child won't remember it." She smiled.

"I hope you are right."

"You know I am, Luke. I don't know where this is coming from."

They were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food.

After he left Lorelai continued. "I doubt about a lot of things in my life, but you being a good father isn't one of them."

"Really?"

"Absolutely, you're going to be the best father ever."

Luke started smiling. He still doubted it, but she sounded so confident that he almost didn't dare to doubt it. "I love you."

"I love you too, Luke."

After dinner they went outside for a walk. They walked in silence, enjoying the beautiful area they were in. They walked for over an hour, until Lorelai realized how tired she was. With the less sleep she got last night, she was exhausted. So they walked back to the inn and changed into their pyjamas.

They each lay on their sides, spooning, Luke's arms safe around her. It didn't take long before they fell asleep.

Somewhere in the night they woke up by the sound of a cell phone ringing. It was Rory, telling them she arrived okay. She sounded enthusiastic by seeing London again. Lorelai was glad to hear the happiness in her daughters voice.

After the phone call ended they fell asleep again soon, so they wouldn't wake up too late the next morning. Luke had booked the room for the entire day so they could take it easy. They took another bath before they went down for brunch. After that they went back to the room and started packing their things.  
They took their time, driving back to Stars Hallow. They had dinner at a nice little restaurant and it was 8 p.m. by the time they got home. It was only a small honeymoon, but to them it was special, and to Lorelai it was more then she had expected. When they lay in their own bed together that night, she told him how special the past few weeks had been.

_A/N This is not the end of the story or something. Although it does sound like a nice ending, but it's just a great ending to this chapter, there's more I want to write with this story, I mean, there is still a baby that needs to be born. I just felt kind of bad for them not having a honeymoon, and the suggestion of them going with Rory for their honeymoon took me here. It was a great idea, but you can't fly at the end of a pregnancy. Maybe in the end I'll let them go pick Rory up, with the baby, but I'll just have to see where this story is taking me!_


	21. Premature

_A/N: Thanks again LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading my new chapter! I'm glad you like it and I hope the rest of you will like it as much!  
__Thanks again for all those lovely reviews! _

**Chapter 21 Premature**

Things went back to 'normal' again. Lorelai missed Rory every day, but it was easier than the first time. They e-mailed each other every day, and if they had the time, they talked over the phone.

Even though there weren't many guests at the Dragonfly at the moment, Lorelai started to work more. Michel deserved some time off after covering for Lorelai a lot the last week. His mother was leaving in a few days and they had spent almost no time together.

Lorelai was working long days. She woke up at the same time as Luke. They ate breakfast together before he left and afterwards she went back upstairs to shower and dress and arrived at the Dragonfly around seven. There, she started catching up on her paperwork the first hour and around eight, she helped Sookie serving breakfast. Most of the kitchen staff had gotten some time off as well.

The only time Lorelai stopped working was around lunchtime, when she went to the diner to have lunch with her husband. She staid about half an hour and went back to the Dragonfly 'till six o clock, earliest. Most of the time, it was after seven before she got home.

Luke was already home by the time she came home. She was exhausted and hardly found the energy to eat. Every day, after dinner, they watched some TV, but most of the time, she fell asleep within 10 minutes.

One and a half weeks after the wedding, when Lorelai walked into the diner for lunch, Luke couldn't take it any longer. Lorelai looked exhausted. She had big dark circles under her eyes and looked like she would fall asleep any second. She sat down at the counter and begged for a cup of coffee. Luke of course, wouldn't give it to her.

"Luke, just give me some decaf."

"One cup, no more." He said and poured her a cup. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Just the usual."

He turned around to give the order to Caesar. When he turned back to her he asked, "Why don't you take the afternoon off?"

"Can't. There's too much work to do. Michel will be back next week, I'll take a day off then."

"Lorelai, you're exhausted. I'm sure they can manage without you for one afternoon."

"No, they need me there. I'll promise I'll be home early, but I have to get back there."

"Lorelai." He sighed.

"I promise."

"That's what you've told me every day this week, but you're getting more exhausted by the day, and you're coming home later every day as well. Yesterday you weren't home until eight."

"I'm sorry I have a business to run. You know just as well as me that sometimes it takes a lot."

"Yeah, well, but at least I take of a few hours and let Caesar and Lane take over. Besides, I'm not 8 months pregnant." Luke got angry. She was so irresponsible.

Lorelai got angry as well. Why didn't he understand that she was needed at the inn? "Forget it Luke. I'm going back to work, you'll see me at home tonight." She stood up and turned around to leave.

"Lorelai, don't walk away when we're talking."

She turned around and shot him an angry look. "I think we're done talking." With that, she walked away.

Luke decided that it wasn't a good thing to let her walk away like that, so he screamed to Caesar that he was going out for a little while and ran after Lorelai. It didn't take him long to catch up with her. As soon as he reached her, he stopped her, and turned her around so he could face her.

"We were not done talking. For the past week and a half, you've been working full time. You're exhausted. You're falling asleep on the couch every night and don't even wake up if I carry you up the stairs."

"It's only 3 more days Luke."

"I don't care. You're not going back in."

"You can't stop me."

"Yes I can."

"No you can't." She turned around and started walking again.

"Lorelai."

After a few steps, she stopped as she felt a sharp pain in her back.

Luke noticed something was wrong and he was by her side in a second. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." She looked scared, but the pain faded away soon. "It's gone now."

"Please come back with me to the diner. Even if it's just to finish your lunch." His eyes were begging.

Lorelai nodded in response and walked with him.

When Lorelai was about to sit down, she felt another sting, which one also faded away soon. She decided not to mention it to Luke, because it would only worry him even more. He was right, she was working too hard. Maybe she could take of the rest of the day, or at least after the meeting she had in a half an hour.

Lorelai ate her lunch and promised Luke to come back after the meeting. He wasn't satisfied but it was something, and he took whatever he could get.

Lorelai arrived back at the diner an hour and a half later. Luke watched her when she walked towards the counter and noticed the pained expression on her face.

"Lorelai, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just having these sharp pains in my back, but they come and go." She hadn't noticed what they were until she said it out loud. "Oh my god, Luke, I'm having contractions."

"What?"

"These sharp pains, I think they are contractions. I know they are. I felt them once before when I was in labour with Rory."

He tried to think rational. Inwardly he was freaking out, but he had to stay calm. She showed enough panic already. "Okay, let's get you to the hospital."

Lorelai nodded.

"Lane?" Luke called.

"Yes?" Lane walked out of the storeroom.

Luke approached her. "I'm taking Lorelai to the hospital. You and Caesar have to take care of the diner. I don't know when I'll be back, but I call you if I know anything okay?" His voice was soft so only she could hear what he was saying.

"What's wrong?"

"She's having contractions."

"But it's to early, right?"

"I know." He whispered. "Just take care of the diner okay?"

"Of course."

"Come on", He took Lorelai by her arm. "Let's go."

Luke stopped by the house to get her some overnight clothes and some toiletries. Lorelai waited in the car. She took out her cell phone to call Rory who after a few rings picked up.

"Hello?"

"Rory?"

"Hey mom, what's wrong?"

"I'm having contractions."

"What?"

"Contractions."

"Oh… where are you now?"

"At the house, Luke is picking up some clothes and then he's taking me to the hospital. It's just… I'm scared. I'm not ready for this. It's supposed to be six more weeks. It's too early and what if the baby won't be okay because of that. It's all my fault. Luke was right, I was working too hard, and now I'm in labour. What if something happens with the baby, he will never forgive me. What am I supposed to do? I.."

"Mom." Rory interrupted her rambling mother. "You have to stay calm."

"But, I can't."

"Yes you can. Just take a deep breath."

"Au.."

"What?"

"Just another contraction. Luke come on, hurry up…"

"Mom, you have to stay calm. Everything will be okay."

At the same time, Luke walked outside, locking the door behind him.

"But what if…."

"Mom…"

Luke opened the door and sat down next to Lorelai. "Everything's ready. Let's go." He noticed the phone "Who are you talking to?"

"Rory."

"What?" Rory asked.

"It's Luke, he's back. Hey hon, I've got to go. I call you as soon as I know anything okay."

"Sure… mom, don't worry too much okay? Everything will be allright, you'll see."

"Okay, I love you babe."

"I love you too, mom. And remember, it doesn't matter what time it is when you call me, I'll have my phone with me, even in class, so if you need me I'm there."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Luke drove faster than he usually does. It took them about 20 minutes before they arrived at the hospital. He parked the car and helped her out of it. They walk towards the ER where the desk clerk gave them some forms to fill in.

A nurse let Lorelai and Luke into an exam room and gave her a hospital gown to change into. After Lorelai had changed, it didn't take long before Dr. Elder walked in.

"Hello Lorelai, how are you feeling?"

"I'm having contractions. But it's only 34 weeks."

"Don't worry, okay? I'm going to put you onto a monitor to see how strong the contractions are, and I want to do a pelvic to see if and how much you are dilated."

Lorelai nodded.

Luke stood next to Lorelai, holding her hand, while doctor Elder examined her. He saw a single tear falling down, which he brushed away with his thumb. He kissed her cheek and whispered "I love you."

Dr. Elder took of her gloves and threw them into the basket. She stood up and looked at the prints from the contraction monitor. She picked up Lorelai's chart and made some notes.

Lorelai followed every move she made. She walked closer to Lorelai, at the other side of the bed, opposite to where Luke was standing.

"The good news is that there is no dilation. The contractions seem pretty strong though. When you are 34 weeks pregnant a baby is big enough to survive, but it will need to stay into a incubator for a few weeks to get bigger. We're going to give you some medicine to stop the contractions, because it's better if the baby stays safe inside you for a few more weeks. Every extra day the baby stays inside you, it will get a change to get bigger and stronger.

A nurse will come in within a few minutes to give you an IV. I'm going to admit you to the OBGYN floor. We'll keep you on the monitor to see if the medicine is working."

"How long do I have to stay?"

"That's hard to tell. If we can stop the contractions I want to keep you one or two days for observation, but if we won't be able to stop them, we have to try something else."

"What will happen if the contractions won't stop?"

"If they won't stop immediately we can try some other medicine. If we won't be able to stop them at all, you will have to deliver your baby. The baby will be small and has to stay in the hospital for a few weeks, before it is strong enough to go home with you. The first few weeks the baby will have to stay into an incubator. But we have to think positive. You're not dilated yet, which is a very good sign. We just have to wait and see what the medicine will do."

"And if the medicine works, and I can go home, what happens next?"

"If you're released from the hospital you'll have to take it very slow. The first few days will be complete bed rest. It's important that you will take things slow 'till the baby is born."

"It's my fault that this happened. I worked too hard, I never took time to rest, even though you told me to Luke, I am so sorry."

"Hey, look at me." He turned her face towards him. "None of this is your fault. The baby is going to be just fine, I promise."

"But I just went on and on and I didn't stopped. First our wedding and than the Dragonfly, I never took things slow. And the doctor says I have to take things slow and I didn't do it, so this is my fault Luke. It is."

"Lorelai, the reason of the contractions isn't important." Lorelai looked at Dr. Elder while she spoke. "We have to focus on stopping the contractions, and blaming yourself isn't going to help. You have to calm down."

"I don't know if I can."

"I know you can, and Luke will be there to help you."

Lorelai nodded again.

"I'm going to check on another patient now, the nurse will be her with the IV soon. After that, they will take you upstairs. Luke, you can stay with her as long as you want to."

"Thanks doctor."

The nurse came in a few minutes after Dr. Elder had left. She gave Lorelai an IV and gave her the medicine. After a half an hour or so, someone from transport came to bring her upstairs. Luke staid by her side the whole time, not even thinking about leaving.

When she was settled in her in room, he was the first one to think about Rory.

"Lorelai do you think we have to call back Rory?"

"Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about that. She's probably waiting for my call."

"Hey, why don't you call her. I need a bathroom break anyway."

She appreciated that he wanted to give her some space. "Thanks." He kissed her before he left.

She picked up the phone, but realised it wasn't a local call. She had her cell phone with her, but they aren't allowed in hospitals. And as she was hooked up on a monitor, she thought it wasn't so smart to violate the rule.

After a few minutes doctor Elder came in to check on her.

"Hello Lorelai, how are you doing?" She looked at the print from the monitor.

"I'm feeling a little better, I think the contractions are reducing."

"They are. There are still a few, but they are not as strong as they were before so it looks like the medicine is doing its job." She noticed Luke was gone. "Where's Luke?"

"He gave me some space to call my daughter. But I realised it isn't a local call, so I'm not sure if I can make it with that phone."

"You're daughter is in London right?"

"Yeah, she was here for Christmas, but she left again after the wedding."

"That's right. You mentioned a wedding when we were in the ER. The last time I saw you, you didn't even mention an engagement." The doctor took a chair and sat down for a while, she found it very important to have some sort of relationship with her patients.

"Luke proposed on Christmas eve. After that, Rory showed up at the door. He had managed for her to come home so I could celebrate the engagement with her, as well as Christmas. We decided to wait with the wedding till July, after Rory came home again from London. But after having dinner at my parents house the next day, and a dream, I realised that we have waited too long already, so we started planning the wedding and got married on New Years Eve, midnight exact."

"That's a very romantic story."

"Yeah." Lorelai smiled for the first time since she arrived at the hospital. "It was one of the best days in my life."

"I can imagine." She thought for a while before she added. "I'll ask someone at the nurse station if it's possible to make an overseas call from this phone."

"Thank you."

Dr. Elder came back in a few minutes later. She picked up the phone and dialled a few numbers before handing the phone to Lorelai. "You can dial the number now, start with the number of the country, followed by the normal number."

"Thanks again."

"No problem. I'll come back to check on you in an hour or so."

"Okay." She started dialling and it didn't take long before Rory picked up.

"Mom?"

"Hey babe."

"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

"We're both fine. They gave me some medicine to stop the contractions because it's a little early for the baby to get born. It looks like the medicine is doing its job. I have to stay for a day or two and when they release me I have to take it very slow."

"I'm glad things are okay mom."

"Me too. I just wanted to let you know that. But I believe it's pretty late there, so you better get some sleep now."

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. But if there are any changes you call me right?"

"I promise."

"Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, Rory."

That night Luke staid with Lorelai in the hospital. She told him he could go home, but he insisted on staying. He told her that they hadn't spent a night apart since they moved in together, and he wasn't planning on spending a night away from her now. "Besides", he added, "I can't sleep without you next to me anyway"

He looked very uncomfortable in the chair, so she told him to lie down next to her in the bed. He refused at first, but she soon convinced him to.

When the night nurse checked on Lorelai around midnight, she smiled. Lorelai was sleeping on her side, Luke lay down behind her, also on his side, his arm protectively around her. And the nurse could see the smile on Lorelai's face.  
She checked the monitor and saw that the contractions had stopped completely. She made a note to the chart and silently left the room, closing the door behind her, carefully not to wake the couple. Knowing that within a few weeks, when it was time for the baby to be born, they wouldn't get much sleep anymore at night.


	22. Going home

_A/N: First I want to explain something about the last chapter. I understand that not every baby will have problems when it's born at 34 weeks, and some of them, like your daughter, can go home almost immediately. But others will be to small to go home and have to stay in an incubator for days or even weeks. In this story, Lorelai's baby wasn't ready to get born because it was to small. So it was better to give her medicine to stop the contractions and delay the delivery with a few weeks.  
Second, sorry it took me so long to update. Last week was very busy. I had spring break, but instead of having more time, I ended up having less. I worked a lot, and add physics homework to that and you know exactly what I've been doing the entire week. So I took my laptop with me on the train so I could finally write it. And here it is. Hope you like it, and if you do, please review ;)  
__Third, I want to thank LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading! You're the best!_

**Chapter 22 Going home**

The next day Dr. Elder removed the IV from Lorelai. She kept her in the hospital for another day for observation, just to see if there wouldn't be any more contractions. Luckily they weren't so Luke was able to take Lorelai home the next day.

Luke had staid with her the entire time. Lorelai told him to go home in between, but he refused each time she mentioned it. There was no way he could go home without her. He knew the place would be too silent and the walls would attack him within a few minutes. He hated it when he had to take a bathroom break. And she had to force him to go have something to eat in the cafeteria. The only way she could make him go was to tell him that she was hungry and he had to go and get her something to eat. Even hospital food. Of course, when he smelled food he felt his own stomach growl so he got himself something as well, but he took it with him so he could eat it together with Lorelai.

Lorelai woke up before the sun came up the next day, eager to go home. Even Luke wasn't awake yet. She turned around to look at him, carefully not to wake him. She loved to watch him sleep, fantasize about what he would be like with their baby. The look on his face when he would first hold their baby. She could watch him forever and do that. She spent countless nights doing that. No matter what, she knew Luke would be a great father. She knew he doubted that sometimes himself, but then again, she had doubts about being a good mother herself. She knew things are a lot different then when she got Rory. She was a kid, innocent and not realizing what could go wrong. Now she knew. She grew up together with Rory. She was afraid that now she couldn't be the cool mom she was with Rory. She never really told Luke about her doubts though. He was insecure enough himself and she didn't want him having to deal with her insecurities as well.

Even though she was getting tired of being pregnant (the large stomach, not being able to wear normal clothing, having trouble putting on some socks and tying shoelaces), she was glad the baby wasn't born yet. She needed more time to prepare herself. She had been so scared something would be wrong with the baby, and she would never have been able to forgive herself if something had went wrong. She knew that it wouldn't be a bad thing for the baby to be born now, although a few extra weeks would be better. The baby is still small, smaller than average. She blamed herself for that as well, although Dr. Elder had told her repeatedly that it wasn't something to be worried about. Some babies are big when they get born, others are small, like hers…

"Hey." Luke slowly opened his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"How happy I am that I can go home." She smiled and lifted her head so she could kiss him. "Good morning."

"Good morning. How come you're awake so early?"

"Don't know. I just couldn't go back to sleep and I found myself once more wondering what our child would be like. How good a father you would be and…"

"What?" He brushed a few hairs out of her face.

"And if raising this child will be any different from raising Rory."

"I think every child is different, so raising a different child would be different, but than again, maybe not so different, why?"

"I'm different now. When I had Rory I was this cool mom and… well…. it's just that you're not the only one having doubts about their parental abilities."

"Lorelai, you told me that you have no doubts in me being a good father, and I have absolutely no doubts in you being a good mother. You did a great job raising Rory and you will do a great job raising our baby."

"In a way I know that, there are just those times when I have to much time to think, when I start having doubts."

"There is no reason for that, you're a great mother."

"Thanks."

He kissed her. "So, you slept well, other than being awake early?"

"Yeah, I always sleep well when I'm in your arms. The benefit of a small bed." She smiled.

"And you made me buy a bigger one."

"No, you bought it yourself. I just, well, you know exactly what I told you."

"Yeah I do." He smiled at the memory. "So, are you ready to go home?"

"More than I'll ever be. How long do we have to wait before we can go home?"

"I don't know. The doctor said she would come in early to check up on you and if everything was okay, all we have to do before we can go home is sign the release forms."

"I like the sound of that. Going home."

"So do I."

He closed his eyes for a while before Lorelai asked "Luke?"

"Mmm…"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed her again. "Go back to sleep, it's too early to be awake."

"But I don't know if I can."

"Just try." He closed his eyes again. Lorelai did the same, and she realized how tired she was. It didn't take long before they both were asleep again, safe in each other's arms.

Luke was the one who woke up when a nurse walked into the room, at 8 o' clock.

"Morning sir." The nurse walked towards the windows and opened the curtains.

"Good morning."

"Have you slept well?"

"Yes thank you."

"She's still sleeping."

"Yeah, she's exhausted, but I'm sure she will wake up soon."

"Good, Dr. Elder started her rounds already, and she must be here within 10 minutes."

"Thanks." The nurse left.

Luke kissed Lorelai's forehead. "Lorelai, wake up."

"No, too early." She refused to open her eyes.

"Dr. Elder will be here within a few minutes and you can go home after that."

As Luke had expected, that did it. She opened her eyes immediately. She sat up, but felt dizzy because it was to fast and let herself fall back into the pillow. "Ugh."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just got up to fast."

"Are you sure?" the worry was evident in his voice.

"Luke, don't worry, I'm fine, I promise."

Luke kissed Lorelai again before he stepped out of the bed. He put his shoes back on, and pulled a clean shirt out of Lorelai's closet, which Sookie had brought them the day before. She came to visit and took some clothes in for both Luke and Lorelai to change. She was very worried but Lorelai had assured her friends that both she and the baby were okay. In the end Luke sent Sookie away because she was too energetic, and Lorelai was tired.

Richard and Emily had visited early in the evening. Emily had tried hard not to blame anything on Lorelai, knowing her daughter was worried enough herself. Of course, in her mind she blamed her daughters overdoing, but for once, she kept the thought to herself. Lorelai knew exactly what her mother was thinking, as it was written all over her face, but she appreciated how hard her mother tried. They hadn't stayed long, seeing the tiredness in Lorelai's eyes.

Luke took a toothbrush out of the plastic back, and used the sink in Lorelai's room to brush his teeth. He also noticed a raiser in the back, but left it there. When he looked in the mirror he could see Lorelai's attempt to get up again. Slower this time, she pushed herself up. It worked, because she didn't felt dizzy this time.

Dr. Elder, followed by a few med students, walked into the room by the time Luke was finished.

"Good morning Lorelai, Luke. How are you feeling today?"

"Good, ready to go home." Lorelai smiled.

"Let's do some tests to confirm that." Dr. Elder smiled back.

She took the Doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. "The heartbeat sounds good." She touched Lorelai's abdomen to feel the baby's position, and did another pelvic to see if there was any dilation, which there wasn't. She had one of the med students check Lorelai's blood pressure. And did another few tests, writing the results down on her chart.

After she finished the tests she told Lorelai the results. "Everything looks good. There are no more contractions and there is no dilation. As we talked about before, you're baby is small and it's better to keep him or her inside you for a few more weeks. You can't go back to work until after the baby is born. Further, you can go up and down the stairs only 1 time a day, so you can go downstairs in the morning, and back up in the evening. And it would be even better if you don't walk the stairs at all, but I'm doubting that it's possible to keep you in bed for 6 weeks."

"I'll try." Lorelai said, but knowing Dr. Elder was right.

"The first 2 weeks you're grounded. All you can do is read a book, watch some TV, nothing else. The only time you can leave your house is next Thursday, because you have an appointment with me. But other than that, you're staying at home. I know this will be tough, but it is the best for you and the baby. And once the baby is born, you'll forget about it again."

Lorelai nodded.

"I'll have the release papers ready at the nurse station. You can get dressed pack your stuff and go home, and I'll see you next Thursday. If there is anything else, you can always call me." Dr. Elder picked a card out of her pocket. "This is my pager number if there's anything wrong. Don't hesitate to call, because the only thing that is important, is that you are okay."

"Thank you." Lorelai shook Dr. Elder's hand.

"Yes, thank you for everything." Luke followed Lorelai's example. It was the first time he spoke since Dr. Elder had entered the room. He had watched everything from Lorelai's side, but couldn't help the fact that he felt more than uncomfortable. Being in a hospital environment made him feel that way. Dr. Elder alone he could handle, and a nurse walking into a room once in a while was okay, but all the med students with their lab coats made the place seem very sterile and uncomfortable for him.

Lorelai noticed this and took his hand in hers, squeezing it. He looked up at her and gave her an uncomfortable smile, wanting to thank her. She watched the doctor and the students leave and as soon as they closed the door behind her, she asked "Can you pick me out some clothes, I would love to go home now."

Still a little distracted Luke stood up and did what she had asked.

Half an hour later they were walking hand in hand towards the parking lot. It took them a while before they remembered where they had parked the truck, but after that things went faster. Luke helped Lorelai into the truck, and walked around the truck to get in himself. They drove home in silence, both lost in their thoughts in how different things could have gone.

Lorelai stared out the window, but didn't really look at anything. Luke's eyes were focused on the road. He drove carefully again. Most cars passed them. If Lorelai had noticed it, she wouldn't have cared. In a way she was scarred to go home, not because of the silence and the fact that she was grounded, but because of the town. She didn't felt like explaining anything anymore. Sookie, her parents and of course Rory was enough. She wished she didn't have to deal with anyone else. She knew Luke felt the same way. He hated to be in the center of attention. Normally she didn't, but at the moment she just didn't want to walk to anybody. Though, she knew the moment they would park the truck on the driveway, a nosy Babette would storm out, lurching for information.

When Luke was about to turn into the exit towards their town, Lorelai first spoke. "I wish we could just drive around for a while."

"Why?" He gave her a quick look.

"It's just… the town you know."

"Yeah." He sighed.

"Babette will storm out of her house, even before you stopped the engine."

"I know. But what do you want to do? You know that you have to take it easy, and driving bumpy roads can't be good."

"I know. I just… I wish we could sneak in during the night, hide the truck and make them think we're missing or something."

"I think we're lucky they didn't follow us towards the hospital. Non of them showed up."

"Well, maybe they don't know?"

"Lorelai, we were in the diner. Of course they know."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Can't you take me to the diner? There is still some furniture in your old apartment and then you can take me home in the middle of the night, when everybody in town is sleeping."

"Caesar opened the diner this morning, so a lot of those nosy town people will be there, that will be even worse than just Babette."

"Oh, never thought of that."

About 5 minutes later Luke parked the truck on their driveway, and as suspected Babette showed up in no time.

"Sugar, are you okay?"

Lorelai helped herself out of the truck before answering. "I'm fine Babette. Just a false alarm. The baby changed it's mind and wants to stay inside of me for a few more weeks. But if you're alright with it, I would love to get inside and get some sleep. I'm really exhausted."

"Morey, Lorelai's home and she's okay. The baby won't come in a while" she screamed towards her husband, than she turned back to Lorelai. "Well, you worked so hard the last few weeks, and the wedding…"

"Don't worry. I'm officially on maternity leave now."

"Good thing sugar. Well, you go in and get some rest and keep a good eye on that man of yours because he looks pretty tired himself. I'm going to give Patty a call, because she's dying to know how you're doing."

"Okay, see you later Babette."

"Bye, sugar." And towards her husband. "Morey, I'm coming back home now, Lorelai's going to rest and we have to call Patty."

Lorelai smiled when she watched her neighbor running home. She turned towards her own house and noticed Luke was already inside. She followed him and locked the door behind her. Normally she never locked her doors, but this was her best change in leaving everybody else outside.

She let herself fall down on the couch, and realized she had no idea where Luke was. "Luke?"

No reply, so she yelled a little louder. "Luke?" She stood up, to look for him. She couldn't find him anywhere downstairs so she slowly climbed the stairs, even though she was allowed to do it only once. She checked the bathroom and their bedroom, but he wasn't there. "Luke?" The last room she checked was the nursery and their he was, sitting in the rocking chair.

"Luke?"

He looked up. "What are you doing upstairs?"

"I can ask you the same thing, what are you doing here?"

He lifted his shoulders. He didn't really wanted to explain.

She walked closer to him and placed one of her hand on his shoulder. "Hon?"

"I just…. I always thought that the day we would go to the hospital we would come home with the baby."

"We did right?"

"You know that's not what I mean."

"It's better this way. The baby needs some more time to grow, but the next time, I think it will be three of us, you just have to wait a few more weeks."

"I know that, it's just…."

"It's not what you expected." She carefully prompted.

"Yeah." He admitted shyly.

She moved her hand from his shoulder to his hand and pulled him up. "Let's go back downstairs."

"No, you're not going back downstairs."

"Why not?"

"You know what the doctor told you. You can only go up and down the stairs once a day."

"Exactly, so I can go back downstairs."

"But you can't go back up, and I'm not sleeping in Rory's room, so you have to stay."

"But I'll be bored to death."

"No, you won't. We have almost everything we have downstairs up here as well. There is a TV in our bedroom. And if you want a book or magazines or whatever, just ask me, I'll get them for you." They had moved one of his TV's into the bedroom, just like they had there. So, if he had to go to bed early because he had early deliveries, they could still go to bed at the same time.

"Okay, fine." Lorelai wasn't in the mood to protest. She was pretty tired anyway, and the thought of laying in bed and get some sleep, didn't sound so bad after all.

Lorelai changed her clothes before she stepped into the bed. Luke himself went into the bathroom to take a shower. Let the hot water wash away the tension.

Luke walked into the bedroom 15 minutes later. Lorelai was lying on her side, reading a magazine.

"Hey."

She looked up "Hey, you clean again?"

"Yeah well.." He walked towards the closet and took out a pair of jeans and a clean shirt and put them on. Lorelai continued to watch him.

"Whatcha looking at?"

"The beautiful body of my husband."

Luke smiled shyly. "You're not looking that bad yourself."

"Oh come on, have you looked at me lately? I'm fat and my ankles are swollen and my face looks like I haven't slept in a month…."

"No way." He walked towards her and sat down on the bed, turning her face so she had to look him in the eye. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"But I'm fat."

"No you're not, and you will never be. You look beautiful Lorelai, and to me, you will always be beautiful."

"To you, so that means I'm not really, you just won't see the truth."

"Lorelai." He sighed, but had no idea how to make clear what he intended, so he just kissed her. When he pulled away he looked her in the eyes again and once more stated "You are beautiful."

"Hey Hon, are you going to the diner today?"

"I was thinking about staying with you."

"But I think Caesar disserves a break. He's been working long days for the past few weeks. First our wedding, and now this."

"Maybe you're right, but I'd rather stay with you, to keep an eye on you, you know."

"I know, but I'm going to sleep most of the time anyways, and after that I'll watch some movies, and I have to give Rory a call…"

"I could watch you sleep, and watch the movies with you."

"You don't even like Willy Wonka. I'd rather have you take some time off after the baby is born, I need you then. You just have to own some credit by your employees so they are willing to take over for you."

"If not, I'll just close the diner."

"We don't want that. Besides, after 2 days of hospital food I could use some real food. So I'd like for you to make me some at the diner."

"I can make it for you here."

"I think we had this conversation before. It won't be the same."

He remembered the morning where she made him pack up the food and eat it at the diner. "You're right. I better go. But you have to promise me you stay in bed, and if there is anything, you have to call me."

"I promise." She kissed him. "Now go, scoot."

Luke smiled as he stood up and walked away.

That evening he came home around 7. He had closed the diner early, so everyone could have a nice quiet evening at home. He knew Lorelai would be starved by now, and he couldn't ask the others to stay and close. They offered though, but Lorelai was right, he had to own some credit.

He took two plates from the cabinet, a bottle of beer and a bottle of water from the fridge and walked upstairs. Lorelai was laying in bed, watching TV. She looked up as she heard him enter the room. "Hey Luke, how was your day. Oh, that smells good, I'm really starving. What did you bring me? You brought me coffee? Please tell me you did."

"Hey. My day was fine, busy. I made a lot of money because all the town people came by to ask how you were doing, and they all stayed to have something to eat or drink. I brought you a burger, fries, and pie for desert. And no coffee, sorry."

"But…" He silenced her with a kiss.

They ate together, and after that they watched some TV together. Lorelai lay comfortable in Luke's arms. After the movie was over, Luke noticed Lorelai had fallen asleep. He used the remote to turn of the TV and carefully lowered them further down on the bed, so now he was laying on his back, with her snuggled to his side and his arms securely around her. He brushed away a few hairs from her face and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Lorelai." He whispered. He reached to turn of the light. When the room was compete dark he closed his eyes, only to open them again a few seconds later. He kissed Lorelai's forehead again and whispered "I love you." Than, he moved his hand to her abdomen and let it rest there. "I love you, too."


	23. And finally it’s there…

_A/N: So, another chapter is up. Thanks again LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading, you're doing a great job helping me, as always!  
I hope you like this chapter. I know it took me a while to write it, but I hope the waiting was worth it all. Just let me know ;)_

**Chapter 23 And finally it's there…**

A few weeks passed by with nothing happening. Lorelai listened to the orders the doctor had given her, and Luke watched her close, making sure she obeyed to those orders. The more time passed, the crankier Lorelai got with her new housing arrangements. No matter how busy she had been the weeks before, she wished she could go back to that. Doing nothing was just not her. Of course, once in a while spending a day on the couch, watching tv, reading a book or something like that was nice, especially if you could spent a day like that with your daughter or your husband. But most of the time she was alone. Of course, Luke tried to be with her as much as possible, but he knew he needed to take a few days or weeks off after the baby was born, rather than before.

It was the fifth week, and ever since the day Luke had taken Lorelai to the hospital, no contraction has been felt. Lorelai was allowed to go out again, but working still wasn't allowed. She spent most her time with Luke at the diner. She couldn't sit on the chairs in the diner all day, so she went upstairs to his apartment. Some of the time, when things were slow at the diner, he joined her.  
They talked about baby names, which they still hadn't really agreed on, even so close to the birth. That they didn't know the sex of the baby yet, made it even more difficult, because they now needed two names. Luke picked up a few books from the bookstore, they searched the internet, and they found names they liked, but it was hard to find one, they both like.

Lorelai was completely ready for the baby to get born now, and told the baby that several times a day. With 39 weeks of pregnancy, she couldn't wait for the baby to come out. Of course it still scared her, but the thought of the baby staying inside her much longer scared her even more. Luke felt the same thing. He was anxious to meet his child. He couldn't wait to see if he was getting a son or a daughter, and to hold the baby in his arms for the first time. His fear made place for joy. So they were both ready, except for the name. But they believed that they would find one in time.

February 17 came and it was only one week till Lorelai's due date. It was early in the morning, and Luke was busy serving customers breakfast when he saw his wife walking in. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She dragged herself to the counter and he helped her onto one of the stools. Before walking to the other side of the counter he kissed her. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

"How do you feel today?" He walked around the counter and poured her a cup of decaf. She could only have two a day, and to make sure she got only two, there was no coffee at the house, so the only one she could get, was at the diner. Of course, she could go to any other store in town to get herself some, but he knew he had to trust her.

"Good actually, although I would like for this kid to finally come out."

"But it's still a week till your due date."

"Well, now it doesn't matter anymore. The past few weeks the baby grew a lot, and Dr. Elder told us that he or she now has an average size. Besides, one week at this point doesn't really make a difference."

"But you do know that it can be another three weeks before the baby comes, right?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I just hope your kid decides that it's ready long before that."

"So now suddenly it's my kid?" He couldn't wait for an answer because Caesar handed him a few plates he had to take to a table. Back behind the counter he could listen to her reply.

"Yeah, that's the way it goes. In every normal circumstance it will be our kid, but as soon as it will give us a hard time or decides to break some rules, it will be your kid."

"Lorelai." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, you're the one who put me in this position. If you hadn't slept with me, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant, and I wouldn't be walking around with this huge belly."

"Like you didn't enjoyed it."

"Oh I did." She smiled when she remember the night they both think this baby was conceived.

"So, what are you trying to say than?"

"Nothing really. Never mind…. Hey, can you give me some pancakes? I'm really hungry."

"Sure, he turned around and gave the order to Caesar, who had just finished another order Luke could serve.

After Lorelai finished her pancakes she went upstairs to lay down for a bit. Her back started to hurt from the stools at the counter, without support for her back.

Luke wished he could go up with her but the morning rush was still going on and Lane had a day off so he couldn't leave Caesar alone.

Time went by fast and it was around ten o' clock when the diner was almost empty. There were only a few people for late breakfast and two others for some coffee and pie. But nothing Caesar couldn't handle by himself for a while. Luke went upstairs to check on Lorelai. He found her lying on the couch, the tv on, but her eyes closed. He smiled when he watched her for a while, and turned around to walk away, very careful not to wake her. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard Lorelai's voice. "Luke?"

He walked back inside, closing the door behind him from the inside. He kneeled down in front of her, kissing her forehead. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"Okay really. My back still hurts a little though. Why were you leaving?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"I was before, but not when you came in. I just hadn't opened my eyes yet."

Luke smiled. "So, what are you going to do today?"

"No plans. Thinking about staying here all day."

"You're so tired?"

"Not that bad. A lot better than this morning, it's just more fun to be here knowing you're downstairs and to be able to see you anytime I want than to go home and be alone all day long."

"I wish I could go home with you."

"We covered that before haven't we?" She smiled "You're just working mister, I'm supposed to do the hard work. I get some time of from work because I have to carry this baby inside me for 9 months. If you do it the next time, you can have a few days off yourself."

Luke didn't know if he had to smile at the comment or roll his eyes so he kept his expression blank. Honestly he loved those silly comments. Of course it annoyed him some of the time, but she was the only person that could make him laugh. And even though he mostly commented her crazy remarks, he loved them and missed them if she wasn't making them."

"What are you thinking?" She looked at him questioningly.

"Nothing really."

"I bet your thinking how glad you are that a woman is supposed to carry a child and not a man. Otherwise you would be the fat one, having morning sickness for months and the swollen ankles and the weird cravings."

"Lorelai." He sighed. "You know I would if I could."

"No you wouldn't, but that's okay. Are things slow downstairs?" She decided to change the subject.

"Yeah, two couples for late breakfast and one couple for coffee and pie."

"Oh, I want that too."

"Oatmeal? I'll go downstairs and get you some." He stood up and walked away, inwardly smiling.

"No, coffee and pie."

"Oh…" He turned around and pretended to be disappointed.

"Oh come on you big baby. I thought one baby in our family would be enough."

"Well, since that baby won't come out yet, I can be the baby right?"

She started to laugh hysterically. "What?" He asked, not understanding how his remark could be that funny.

"Oh come on Luke, you should have seen your face." She had trouble getting the words out.

Luke started to laugh now too. "Okay, it was funny."

"Ouch…" Lorelai laughed.

"What's wrong, your laughing muscles hurt you?" Luke laughed.

"No, it feels more like a contraction." She laughed even harder.

"A contraction, well that's funny." He laughed but stopped. "What?"

"I'm having a contraction."

"Why is that funny?" He was completely serious now.

"Uhm…" Her laughing faded as well. "I honestly have no idea cause it hurts."

"I have to take you to the hospital."

"Oh come on Luke. It's just one contraction. And at this point in the pregnancy there is also something as false labor. We have to wait and see if the contractions will get stronger and more frequently before we drive all the way to the hospital."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." She saw the worried look on his face. "It was more fun when you pretended to be a baby. Come on Luke relax, everything will be fine."

"But I'm going to be a father. For real this time."

"If we're lucky yes, but it could also be another 3 weeks."

"Oh…"

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah…"

"We said we would find this baby a name before it's born, so if we want to keep the promise, we have to make a decision soon."

"But it's a hard one to make. The child will have the name for the rest of it's live."

"Yeah, but if we make the decision right after the baby is born, it might end up with a weird name because of the anesthesia."

"You're talking about naming Rory after you?"

"Yeah. I mean, if we get a son it wouldn't be so hard because we can always name him after you, but if we get a daughter and we name her after me I would have two daughters with the same name, that would be weird."

"Yeah it would. Maybe we should think of a name now than."

"That's what I'm saying. So, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"About Luke."

"What about me?"

"No, the name Luke, for a son."

"I'm not naming my son after me Lorelai. I know you mean it well, but no, that won't happen."

"Okay, relax, it was just a suggestion." She thought for a while…. "How about William?"

"What?" He looked at her to see if she was serious.

"Why not name our son after your father. I know how much he means to you, so our son should be very proud to have his grandfathers name."

"He would have been very proud, my father."

"So, if we get a son, his name will be William?"

"Yeah, I like that." He smiled, but his smile faded soon.

"What's wrong?"

"How about your father?"

"We can always tell my mother that we made a deal, name our son after your father and our daughter after her."

"You're not serious are you?"

"What, about naming our daughter after my mother? Of course not! I mean, the relationship between me and my mother is a lot better lately, but I would never name my, I mean our daughter after her. To much has happened for that."

"But what about your father?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

"We can always name give him Richard as his second name…"

"Yeah, we could…" She sighed.

"Let's talk about girls names first."

"Uhm… we already ruled out Emily, but there are so many other names left…"

"Yeah, that's been the problem for months now. All the names I like, you don't like, and everything you like I don't like, so that keeps being the problem."

"I know… but you pick crazy names like Rain…"

"What's so crazy about that? I still like that name."

"Well, I don't. So that's not what we're calling our daughter."

"I like the name Hailey."

"Hailey?"

"Yeah… don't you like it?"

"Mmm… I do… Hailey Danes… It has a nice sound to it, and it sounds great with Rory as well, Rory and Hailey, our two daughters."

They kept discussing some more baby names and an hour later they agreed on the combination of names for both a boy and a girl.

"I wonder why it took us so long to agree, I mean, it wasn't that bad was it?"

"No, not really. I like the names we picked out."

"Me too."

Luke saw Lorelai's pained expression and he had noticed that the contractions were coming more frequent and became more serious.

"Do you think it's time to go to the hospital yet?"

"Yeah, I think so…"

Luke helped her off the couch and together they walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Caesar?"

He turned around. "Yes boss?"

"We have to go. You can leave the diner opened if you can manage, but if the place gets to crowded you can close up."

"Okay, sure boss."

They made a few more arrangements about the coming days, and after that they left together. They drove by the house to pick up Lorelai's bag and the baby seat. During their drive to the hospital, Lorelai called to inform her daughter of her current condition. Rory was the only person they called. Luke mentioned her parents, but Lorelai remembered the last time she went into labor, with her mother insisting to come into the delivery room and she was lucky enough that the nurse understood Lorelai, and told Emily to wait in the waiting area.

This time all Lorelai needed was Luke, and he was already there. They could call everyone else as soon as the baby was born, instead of before. Besides, they had no idea how long the labor would take. Lorelai was a little more experienced than Luke, but they say with a second child everything is different, besides, that was over 20 years ago.

The contractions were getting stronger and Lorelai started complaining that Luke had to drive a little faster, which of course he did not. The fact that she was having pain made him nervous though. The conversation with Rory had taken her attention of the contractions, but Luke was paying attention on the road so all Lorelai could do was stare out the window and become more conscious of the pain she was having.

"Luke come on, hurry up a little…"

"I'm going as fast as I'm allowed, I won't go any faster." He tried to ignore the pained expression on his wife's face as he watched her.

"But Luke." She wined.

"Please, we'll be there within 10 minutes. Just hold on for a while okay?"

"That's easy for you to say. Next time you're so gonna be the one carrying the child and going through labor."

He tried hard not to laugh, but wasn't doing a great job.

"Luke, this is not funny. Come on, everybody is passing us."

"Then everybody is speeding. We have to make sure we both get to the hospital in one piece, instead of being brought into the Emergency Room by an ambulance."

She knew he was right but she didn't want to be rational at the moment. All she wanted to do was hold her baby and the contractions to be over. This morning she wanted to go into labor, now all she wanted was to be out.

10 Minutes later, as promised, Luke parked the car. A little less rushed than the last time they were there. They walked inside together, holding hands. Occasionally they had to stop because Lorelai had a contraction. It didn't take too long before Lorelai was admitted to the OB ward. And not that long after that Dr. Elder came in to do some check-ups.

Lorelai was already dilated 6 centimeters and the baby was in the right position to go trough normal labor. There were no signs that there would be any complications. Someone from anesthesia came in not much later to give Lorelai an epidural. After the epidural started to work, Lorelai started to complain less, and Luke felt a lot better already. He was nervous though, not really knowing what he had to expect. Of course he heard stories about baby birth before, but he never had been a part of one. And being there watching the woman he loved in pain, and knowing that there wasn't much he could do other than to hold her hand, was making him feel so useless.

Dr. Elder noticed this though, and explained to Luke what he could expect. He wasn't sure if he felt better after that, but now he knew what to expect, of before when he didn't. He had not much time to worry because Lorelai's labor was progressing quickly. Before they realized it, Dr. Elder told her that she was fully dilated and they were taking her to the delivery room…

About 20 minutes after Lorelai was brought to the deliver room, so she could finally hold their baby in her arms. Lorelai cried when they placed the baby on her stomach, and Luke had to wipe away tears from his own eyes when he watched his child. He had no idea how it would feel when he could finally see his child, but it was better than he could have ever imagined. He leaned forward to kiss Lorelai. She looked exhausted, but so happy.

They looked at the baby and waited till it started to cry. They all held their breaths and after a few seconds the baby started to scream. Luke looked at Lorelai again who was smiling through her tears.

"So dad, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"

"What?" Luke looked at the doctor.

"The cord, do you want to cut it?"

"Uhm…" He hesitated a little when the doctor handed him the scissors.

He looked at Lorelai who nodded her head. "Do it, you'll regret it later if you won't."

So Luke took the scissors and cut the cord. The nurse took a picture and had already made a few right after the baby was born."

They took the baby away for a while so they could clean and dress it, and Lorelai had to go through afterbirth.

Half an hour later, the happy new family was finally left alone. Lorelai held the baby and Luke sat on the edge of the bed, his left arm around Lorelai and his hand on top of hers.

"I can't believe I'm a father now."

"Better believe it mister. This baby here is all yours."

"We better call Rory now."

"Yeah, we should… hey Luke?"

"Mmm…"

"I love you."

"I love you too." And you, he kissed the baby's forehead.

He picked up the phone and dialed the numbers so he could get an overseas call. Dr. Elder had showed them how to do it before she left them alone. The phone rang a few times before Rory picked up with a sleepy voice. "Hello?"

"Hey babe."

"Mom, how are you, is the baby born?"

"Yes it sure is."

"And?"

"Well, it's really cute, it has little dark hairs and dark blue eyes, and ten little fingers and ten little toes…."

"Mom!"

"It's a boy."

"I have a baby brother. Oh my god, I have a baby brother."

Lorelai could hear her daughter jumping up and down and had to call her a few times before she got her attention back. "Rory"

"Okay, I'm back now. What's his name?"

"His name is William Lucas, but we call him Lucan." Lorelai smiled when she pronounced the name of her son and thought about how earlier Luke had said that no way he would name his son after him, but came around when they ran into this name.

"Lucan, I like that. So how is he doing?"

"He's sleeping now. He really looks like Luke, but I see a little of you as a baby in him as well. He's so cute. And Luke, I've never seen him so proud."

"I bet. And what did grandma say?"

"What, you don't think I would call grandma before I call you right?"

"That makes sense."

"Oh.. you were sleeping when I called you, weren't you.."

"Yeah, I was, but that's okay. I wanted you to call me ever since you called me earlier this evening. Oh mom, how are you doing?"

"Honestly I'm exhausted, but when I look at the little kid in my arms it's all worth it. I just…"

"What?"

"I really miss you right now."

"I miss you to mom. I wish I was there with you right now. Knowing that I have a little baby brother and that I have to wait for months to see him, that's really hard you know."

"Yeah, I know… but hey, we're making lots of pictures and I'll make sure you'll get some in your mailbox tomorrow." Lorelai tried to lighten the mood again.

"That would be really cool. Hey, since you're exhausted and I'm having a class within a few hours, I think we should both get some sleep."

"Yeah, I think some sleep would be nice. I call you again tomorrow okay?"

"Okay, I love you mom."

"I love you to babe."

Lorelai hung up the phone and Luke took it over. "Here let me phone your parents. I can tell them you are asleep."

"Really?"

He replied by dialing the number.

"Gilmore residence."

"Hello, this is Luke Danes, is Mrs. Gilmore around?"

A minute or two later he heard Emily's voice. "Luke?"

"Hello Emily."

"Is everything alright?"

"Actually, it couldn't be better. I'm calling to tell you that you have a grandson."

A big smile appeared on Emily's face. "A grandson."

"Yeah, he was born about 45 minutes ago and he's perfectly healthy."

"Congratulations Luke. Is Lorelai around?"

"She's sleeping right now." He glanced at Lorelai who tried hard not to make any sound.

"Oh, okay. Can we come over to see him tonight?"

"As both Lorelai and the baby are sleeping, it will be better if you come visit tomorrow. It was a really exhausting day and Lorelai could use the sleep."

"I see. Well, we'll see you tomorrow then."

"Emily?"

"Yes Luke?"

"His name is William Lucas, but we call him Lucan."

"That's a pretty name, once again congratulations and say hi to Lorelai from me when she wakes up."

"I will. See you tomorrow Emily."

"Yes. See you tomorrow." With that Emily hung up. Luke couldn't help thinking that somehow Emily sounded disappointed. He didn't really know why, but he hoped it wasn't because he had told her she wasn't allowed to visit anymore tonight.

"Your mother says hello and congratulations. She wanted to come tonight, but I found it better for us to get some rest, and let him meet his crazy family tomorrow."

"Good thinking." She looked at the baby again. "Can you believe he was inside me for nine months?"

"No, not really." It was the truth, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he would have never believed it. The baby was really small, but still looked too big to fit in Lorelai's stomach.

"Oh, I still have to call Sookie." She wanted to hand the baby over to Luke, who looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Come on, take him. He won't bite you."

"I know that. It's just, he's so small, what if I crush him."

"You won't crush him. Here, take him, you'll be just fine."

A little insecure Luke took his son from Lorelai. As soon as he held the baby in his arms the insecurity left and was replaced by pride. The kid he was holding in his arms was his son. His son. He smiled and knew that he couldn't stop smiling for the next few days.

After Lorelai had hung up the phone they settled comfortable in the bed.

"It was a good day." Luke stated.

"Yes it was a good day."

_A/N: Okay, I had a really hard time making up the sex of the baby and picking a name. Some of you told me it had to be a boy and others of you told me it had to be a girl. Not really helping ;) The further I came in the story, the more I started to doubt, but in the end I decided to go with the original plan and let the baby be a boy. So, for all of you who wanted it to be a girl, I know the show is called Gilmore Girls, but since they already have Rory I thought it would be nice that they would have a boy, so now it is the Gilmore Girls, and the Danes Boys :P _


	24. Going home, visitors & conversations

_A/N: Once again sorry that it took me so long to update. School is crazy at the time and I haven't much time to do other things. I read half an hour in the morning and that's it. Took my laptop with my last Wednesday to write, and wrote about a page and a half, and the planning was to finish in the weekend. Didn't really worked out, so I had to take my laptop to school at the beginning of the week so I could finish the chapter. Afterwards I immediately send it to my beta, and she is so fast! So thanks again LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict, I appreciate your help so much!_  
_To all of you, thank you so much for all those wonderful reviews, I've never seen so many reviews at once, you guys are amazing! Someone asked me how you pronounce Lucan: It's Lu-can. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter as well, and I'd be very happy if you let me know ;) _Chapter 24 Going home, visitors & conversations

**Chapter 24 Going home, visitors & conversations **

The next morning they were allowed to take Lucan home. Of course, not after both the baby and Lorelai were seen by a doctor. They were both declared healthy, and there was no reason to stay in the hospital. They signed the release forms and made sure the baby was dressed warmly, before they walked towards the parking lot.

The drive home was quiet. Lucan was sleeping in his car seat, and Lorelai enjoyed watching her son. Luke focussed on the road, but just had to look at the backseat of the car occasionally.

Lorelai smiled as she noticed this. She knew Luke was going to be a good father. She never ever doubted that. And a little gesture like this proved that she was right.

"What are you thinking?" Luke noticed she was staring at him.

"Just enjoying the view."

"Huh?"

"I was thinking how much I like what I'm seeing. The way you glance at him."

"Oh..." He felt a little caught.

"It's cute Luke."

"Oh…"

"You're repeating yourself." She smiled. "Don't feel embarrassed. Maybe you don't like the word cute, but it's just the way you look at him. So proud…" She found it hard to explain so she simply said. "I love you."

He glanced at her. "I love you, too." Then he drew his attention back to the road.

Lorelai was quiet again as well. She enjoyed the silence. She wondered what it would be like to come home. She hoped there wouldn't be to many people on the street, so they could spent a nice quiet day at home, but living in Stars Hallow that would probably not work out that way. Although, being married to Luke was probably a good help. She was pretty sure he would kick them all out, and tell them not to come back until next week or so. She smiled at the thought.

She couldn't help but wish Rory was there. The nurse that helped them with the checking out had asked her how it felt to finally go home as a family. But her family wasn't complete. She couldn't bring herself to tell that to the nurse, and let it go, but the question kept hanging around in the back of her mind. When she looked at her son she didn't want time to go by fast, because she knew he wouldn't stay this small for long. He would grow so fast and learn new things. This stage won't last long. The stage where all he does is sleep and cry and eat… and well, you know. After a few weeks he would start smiling and growing and before you realize it he will be 18 and leaving for college. When she thought about Rory she didn't know where time went. It was like one day she was in the hospital giving birth, and the next day she was leaving for college, all grown up. Of course it hadn't been easy all the time, but it was just that time went by so fast.

She wanted Lucan to stay small for as long as possible, but that was a wish not to be fulfilled. Especially because on the other hand she wanted time to go by fast, so it would be June and Rory could come home.

Lost in her thoughts, Lorelai didn't noticed that they were home, until she felt that the car wasn't moving anymore.

"You're ready to go inside?" Luke asked.

"You bet." She tried hard to smile. Luke noticed this.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Lorelai."

"Please, can we go inside? Babette will be running over here if we stay here too long."

He nodded and stepped out of the car, walking around it to get the carrier from the backseat. He opened Lorelai's door when she didn't do that herself. He held out his hand and she took it. Hand in hand they walked towards their front door. Luke had to let go of Lorelai's hand to get the keys from his pocket. At the same moment they heard Babette's voice. "Hey sugar. You're home."

Lorelai sighed softly, so Babette wouldn't noticed. Then she turned around. "Yes, we are."

"Oh, the baby. Let me see. Is it a boy or a girl? Why haven't you called me yesterday? I heard you went to the hospital but nobody told us anything. We didn't even know if you were alright"

"We're fine Babette, just very tired. The baby is a boy and his name is Lucan."

"That's a beautiful name sugar."

"Thanks Babette. If you don't mind we're going inside now. The baby will wake up soon and he will be very hungry."

"Of course. We wouldn't want him to start crying and all."

"No, we wouldn't want that to happen."

"See you later sugar."

"See you later Babette." She watched how Babette walked away, than turned around to face Luke. "Let's get inside before anyone else sees us."

"Good thinking." He kissed her before they walked inside.

Luke put the carrier on the floor. Then went outside to get the bags from the car. Lorelai helped the still sleeping baby out of his jacket. It didn't even wake him up. She took off her own jacket afterwards and sat down on the couch, watching her son. Again she was lost in thoughts, this time about when she first came home with Rory. She didn't even noticed that Luke sat down next to her.

"Lorelai." He placed his hand on her knee. "What's going on? You seem very distracted."

She looked up at his touch. "What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just tired."

"Lorelai." He sighed.

"Really it's nothing." She stood up and tried to walk away, but he took her wrist and pulled her back to the couch.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, his voice even softer this time.

"Nothing really, I swear." She looked away.

"You're distracted. You've been distracted since we left the hospital. You didn't even noticed we were home until I parked the car on the driveway. I know you and I know that you're tired, but there's something else going on as well."

"Before we left the hospital a nurse told me that it must feel really great to finally go home as a family."

"Oh Lorelai." He took her hands in his.

"It's just so weird. On the one hand I'm very happy to come home as a family, but my family isn't complete without Rory. And I was thinking how I want the time to go fast because I want my family to be complete. But on the other hand I don't want time to go fast at all because he'll stay this small only for a short time and I want to enjoy that time. It's just so weird, and I don't know what I want to feel and it makes me feel guilty both ways."

"I understand, but you shouldn't feel guilty."

"I know that, but it's just so hard. I really wish she was here right now." Her eyes filled with tears. "Look at me, now I even start crying. I don't want that Luke. I just want to enjoy having him home with us, and I want to be happy. I don't want to cry. I can't cry anymore. I don't want to."

He took her in his strong arms and held her tight. "It's okay." He whispered. "You can cry." At the same moment Lucan started to cry. Lorelai pulled back and started laughing. Luke wiped away here tears and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She stood up and picked up the baby. "Why are you crying? You must be a little hungry. Let's get you cleaned up and give you something to eat. What do you think about that?" She turned to Luke. "Let's take him upstairs."

Luke nodded in response and followed Lorelai upstairs towards the nursery.

An hour or so later the doorbell rang. Luke was downstairs flipping channels, Lorelai was upstairs taking a rest. Lucan was asleep next to her in the big bed.

Luke walked towards the door, and found Richard and Emily on the other side. They both shook his hand and congratulated him before going inside. They handed their jackets to Luke, and walked towards the living room. Luke entered a few seconds later.

"Lorelai is upstairs, taking a rest."

"Oh…" Emily replied.

"I'll go upstairs and see if she's awake. I'll be right back."

Emily nodded in response.

Upstairs, Lorelai was laying on her side, watching the baby sleep. "Hey," Luke said as he entered their bedroom.

"Hey." She looked up. "Was that the doorbell?"

"Yes, your parents are here."

"Oh…"

"Do you want me to send them up here for a little while? I think it's more comfortable than you coming downstairs."

"Yes, as long as they won't stay too long." She smiled.

"I'm sure they won't."

Luke went back downstairs to get the grandparents. "Lucan is asleep, but Lorelai is awake. You can go upstairs, than I'll go to the kitchen and make you guys some coffee."

"Okay." Both Emily and Richard ascended the stairs. They opened the door to the bedroom softly, afraid to wake up their grandson. Lorelai smiled when her parents walked into the room.

Both Emily and Richard kissed their daughters cheek to congratulate her. Than they took a chair and sat down next to the bed. "Luke is making some coffee."

"Okay." Lorelai nodded. "So, what do you think?" She pointed to the baby.

"He's beautiful." Emily replied.

"Thanks. He ate about half an hour ago and fell asleep afterwards, but if you want, you can hold him."

"I'd like that." Emily smiled.

Lorelai lifted the baby carefully and handed him to Emily. "Here you go. Meet your grandmother."

"Hey little guy." She looked at the baby carefully. "He's doesn't look anything like you as a baby."

"No, I saw a baby picture of Luke once, he looks a lot more like him, although I do see a little bit of Rory in him as well. You can see they are siblings."

"He's so small" Richard said.

"Yes he is." She looked at her son.

"Did everything go okay, with the delivery and all?" Emily asked.

"Yes, it was so fast. I mean, with Rory it took me forever, but with him, I'm still surprised. I was dilated about 6 centimetres already when we arrived at the hospital and things went so fast after that. Before I realized it they brought me into the delivery room and a little after that he was here."

"Uhuh…" Richard replied, not really sure what to say. He just stared at his grandson again.

"Why did you wait so long to get to the hospital? Emily looked at her daughter.

"Excuse me?"

"If you were dilated for 6 centimetres when you arrived there, what took you so long?"

"I started having contractions in the morning, but they were very soft and I didn't want to go to the hospital when nothing was really happening. So I slept upstairs for a while. Luke came upstairs later and we picked out a name for this little guy. I didn't wanted to risk naming the kid after myself again, and we never got to agree on a name before. After a while the contractions came more frequent and were more serious so we went to the hospital. Like I said, it just went really fast. Before I knew it they lay the baby on my stomach."

"I still think it's irresponsible that you waited that long, to go to the hospital when you were having contractions already."

"Oh please, I don't want to get into this. I went to the hospital when I thought it was right. And I was dilated for 6 centimetres. If it had been 10 you could have complained, but not now mom. Everything went fine. We're both healthy and I think that's all that matters."

"But..." At the same moment Luke walked into the room so Emily stopped talking. He put the 2 coffee and 2 tea cups on the nightstand.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yes Lorelai." He looked at his wife.

"Why are there only 2 cups of coffee?"

"You really want to get into this again?"

She sighed and knew it was useless. "So tea huh."

"As long as your breastfeeding my son, yes." He sat down on the bed next to her. "So, what do you think?" He looked at Emily.

"Lorelai says he looks like you as a baby."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He looked a little shy.

"Neither do I, I never saw a picture of you as a baby. But he doesn't look like Lorelai so she might be right."

"I guess so."

"So have you heard from Rory?" Richard decided to change the subject.

"We called her yesterday, but it was late so we didn't talk that long."

"She's still doing great I assume?"

"Yeah, well, she is Rory of course."

"What did she say when you told her about him?" Emily looked curious.

"She was very enthusiastic. Started jumping up and down. She's sad that she can't see him until June. She's really looking forward to meet her little brother. We promised to e-mail her some pictures today. We're going to make a few later and send them to her. Hey Luke, maybe you can get the camera so we can make a picture from him with his grandmother."

"Okay." Luke went downstairs to get the camera.

"So she's happy?"

"Of course. She was really looking forward to this. She doubted about going to England because of him, but I told her that it would be better for her to go. She really wanted this so she had to follow her dreams."

"You'll see her again soon."

"Yeah, I guess so." Lorelai didn't felt like getting in the same conversation she had with Luke earlier again so she left it there. Lucky for her, Luke came back with the camera so they could start making pictures. He took a few of Emily and Lucan first and than she handed Lucan to Richard so Luke could make a few pictures of them together as well.

After the pictures were taken he handed the baby back to Lorelai. He was still asleep. "See Luke, he really looks like you. You can sleep trough everything as well." Lorelai smiled.

"He's just a baby. From what I've heard they change a lot so it's really hard to say if he looks more like you than he looks like me, although I hope he didn't get a few of your habits."

"Such as?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"I thought so." A big smile appeared on Lorelai's face.

About an hour later Lucan started to wake up. "I guess we should leave now."

"You don't have to leave." Lorelai replied politely but hoped that her parents left anyway.

"No, he needs to eat and you have to eat soon as well. And so do we, and we still have to drive all the way to Hartford."

"Okay. Well, it was very nice of you to stop by."

"Of course. We really wanted to meet our grandson." She looked at Luke. "You're fathers name was William right?"

'Oh boy, there we go..' Lorelai thought. She glanced at Luke and saw he didn't really know what to say. "We were talking about how sorry we were that Luke's father could never meet his grandson, and we thought that when we named him after him, they were connected in some way. I mean, dad can see him grow up, play with him, do grandfather things with him and he will never meet Luke's father. All we can do is show him pictures."

"But your father would have loved it if you named his grandson after him as well."

"We know that, but we wanted to follow tradition."

"What kind of tradition?"

"Tradition says you have to name your firstborn son after the fathers father. And the second son you name after the mothers father. So if we'll someday get another son, we'll name him after dad."

"Since when do you follow tradition? You named your daughter after yourself."

"Well, that was 21 years ago mom. I was sixteen at the time. I was in labour for all those hours and I thought that I would break the tradition and name my daughter after me instead of the father. But in Luke's family it's tradition to name your son after your father. He is named after his grandfather himself. We thought it would be nice to keep that tradition. We just didn't want to call him William all the time so we broke the tradition there and named him Lucan."

"I still think you could have named him after your father as well."

"I guess that was our decision to make. I knew that you would react this way but honestly I don't care. He's my son and I can name him whatever I want, and honestly I don't care what you think."

"How can you say that?" Emily was the first to raise her voice. Until this moment they both had kept their voices low, but she was so angry. Who did Lorelai think she was? She had no idea how much this hurt her father.

"Mom, keep your voice down. There is a baby in the room and it's a little early for him to meet the real you." Lorelai kept her voice low.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emily grew more angry at the second.

"Oh mom come on. The last few months have been great. We could be in the same room and actually have a good time, but that has been different for all those years previous to this one. You helped me with my wedding which I'm very grateful about, but now you are falling back in your old pattern just because Luke and I decided not to name our son after his dad."

"I can't believe you are saying this. Why do you always think I'm such a bad person?" She still didn't listen to Lorelai and her voice became louder and louder, causing the baby to start crying.

"Mom please, I don't want to get into this again. You're upsetting the baby. It's best if you leave now. I'll call you later."

"Lorelai, you can't tell me to leave."

"Yes she can." Luke decided to interfere. "You should leave now."

Richard stood up and took his wife's hand in his. "Come on, we're leaving. The baby is starting to get hungry, and we have a dinner party to attend tonight. Maybe, if you ask politely, Lorelai will e-mail the pictures to us as well, so you can show of your grandson at the party."

That seemed to calm Emily down and she questionably looked at Lorelai, who nodded in response.

"I'll walk you out." Luke walked into the hallway. Emily followed him immediately but Richard stayed behind.

"Lorelai, I want you to know that I'm not upset about this. I agree with you here. It's your choice what your sons name is, and it is a really nice name. And your right about the tradition. That's why I named you after my mother."

"Thanks dad."

"I'm really proud of you Lorelai. I love you"

"Thanks dad. I love you too"

"Okay. I'm going after your mother now. You know how she gets when you make her wait."

"I do. Bye dad."

"Bye Lorelai." Lorelai watched her father leave the room and got up herself. She picked up the baby who was still a little fussy. Together they walked towards the nursery where Lorelai started to change his diaper. She heard Luke ascend the stairs again and enter the room a few seconds later. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Hey, maybe you can get the camera so we can take a few pictures of him in here."

"Sure."

A few seconds later he returned with the camera and took a few pictures.

"Can you carry him back to our room?"

"Sure", he handed her the camera so he could pick up the baby. He lifted towards his chest and started walking.

"Wait…"

"What?"

"Stop right there." She took a few pictures of Luke and Lucan. "Okay, thanks." She started walking towards her bedroom, and a confused Luke followed her. There, he took a few pictures of her and the baby before she started feeding him.

After he was done they took him to his own room so he could sleep quietly. Both Luke and Lorelai went downstairs. Luke to prepare dinner, and Lorelai to send Rory an e-mail. They were both done at the same time. They took their dinner upstairs because that was a little more comfortable for Lorelai.

Around 7.30 Sookie stopped by.

"Hey sweetie, how you're doing?"

"I'm doing great!. The delivery went so fast, so different than with Rory, but they say it's always easier with a second child."

"I don't know about that. Maybe you were just lucky."

"Well, than lucky it is."

"So, a son huh."

"Yeah. He's in the nursery, you can go see him if you like. I just stay here if you don't mind."

"Okay." Sookie stood up to take a look at the newborn and came back about 5 minutes later.

"He's perfect."

"I know."

"And so small. I can't believe how fast they grow. I mean, it was such a long time ago that Davy was this small.."

"I know." She sounded a little sad.

Sookie looked at her friend and knew exactly what she was thinking so she changed the subject trying to make her friend feel better. Although, she kind of picked the wrong one. "What did your parents say?"

"First they were very nice and polite and they brought some very nice gifts. But when they were leaving my mother brought up his name, and how I could name him after Luke's father and not after mine. She was so angry."

"You're kidding?"

"Hello, we're talking about my mother here."

"Yeah, your right. What did your father say?'

"Nothing at first, but when my mother left the room he told me that he likes Lucan's name and that he isn't upset about it and that he's proud of me."

"That's nice."

"Yeah it was."

"Hey, I'll better leave now. You must be exhausted and babies are very good at keeping you up at night, so you better sleep when they sleep."

"Sounds like a plan. But uhm, how's the inn?"

"Still standing. Michel is doing a great job, and even though he complains a lot he really is very proud that he can do everything by himself now. If it were to him, you wouldn't have to come back." She laughed at her friend.

"Good to know. Although that is not going to happen. This was our dream for too long."

"I know. I can't wait to have you back, although you should enjoy your maternity leave, it will be over before you know it."

"I know, I will."

"I'll come by later this week, and bring Jackson and the kids with me. I just had to come see him myself. Couldn't wait any longer."

"That's okay. I couldn't wait to show him to you."

Sookie hugged her friend goodbye and went home.

Luke woke up in the middle of the night. First, he didn't know what woke him up, but after a few seconds he realized he heard crying coming from the baby monitor. Lorelai was asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He carefully manoeuvred himself from underneath her, trying not to wake her up in the process. She opened her eyes though. "Shh… go back to sleep." He kissed her forehead and stepped out of bed and walked towards the nursery.

Luke still couldn't believe that the little boy lying in the crib there, was his son. Of course he knew, but still. He had waited for this moment forever. And now he was here. He wondered how it would feel to be a father. He would have loved to ask his father how it was for him, but unfortunately that wasn't possible. And he would have asked Buddy, but he and Maisy, unfortunately, were never able to get children. It was nothing like Luke expected it to be. He thought he was prepared, but the truth is he could have never been prepared for this. All the emotions he felt when he saw his son for the first time. And when Lucan had opened his little eyes, and looked at him, that was a moment he would never forget again.

He had thought that when he saw the baby was okay, his worries would go away, that he would know everything would work out for the best. Although, it was far from that. He was even more worried now. The world is so big, and the baby is so small. He looks so fragile.

He picked up the baby and cuddled him in his arms. Not to tight of course, because he was still afraid to crush him.

The baby kept crying, so Luke started walking around. He walked towards the window, and in the in the moonlight he checked his watch. It was 2.30 a.m. "Hey buddy. Why you're crying?" His voice was soft. "You can't be hungry now can you, you ate only 2 hours ago. Although, when your anything like your mother than you could be. You have to be a little quiet, or you'll wake up your mommy. Trust me, you don't want that to happen. She gets very cranky when you wake her up." The baby relaxed a little at the warm touch of his father. "That's much better." Luke smiled as the baby stared at him. He knew that the baby couldn't really see him, but that made no difference. "You don't seem tired at all. So you do look like your mother as well. She says you look just like me. But you want to look like her as well."

He kept rocking the baby. "Your mommy is such great woman and you're very lucky to have her as your mother. You also have a big sister, but she's not here right now. We send her some pictures today so she could see you. She's very anxious to meet you, you know. She's very sad that she can't be here to see you. You'll have to wait a few months, and then you'll see her. And she will love you so much. Just like I do." The baby became a little tired from the rocking. He fought hard to keep his eyes open.

Luke couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to the baby. Normally he wasn't open to anyone and it had taken him a long time before he started telling things to Lorelai.

Luke looked at his son again. He had finally lost his battle an was back asleep now. When Luke walked towards the crib, he saw Lorelai standing in the door opening.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hey."

He placed the baby back in his bed, covering him with the blanket. He lightly placed a kiss on his forehead before he walked towards Lorelai.. They stood there, watching their son in silence for a few minutes before turning around towards their bedroom. They stepped into bed, Lorelai snuggling up against Luke again.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Not so long. How long have you been up?"

"He woke up about 15 minutes ago. We had a little discussion, and he decided that he wasn't tired anymore. He fought hard to stay awake but after a while he gave in and went back to sleep."

"Smart boy."

"Well, he is my son of course. And you tell everybody he's just like me."

"Absolutely."

"We better get back to sleep, before that little boy will wake us up again."

"Good thinking."

He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

It didn't take long before they were both asleep as well.


	25. Adjustment

_A/N: Again I want to start by thanking LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading!  
__Second I want to thank all of you who reviewed. Again, so many reviews for my last chapter. You have no idea how good it feels to wake up, check your e-mail and see that someone reviewed your story (instead you write yourself, than you know ;))  
__I started thinking how Luke and Lorelai would handle the big changes in their lives, and this is what I came up with. Please let me know what you think! _

**Chapter 25 Adjustment**

It's been two and a half weeks since Luke and Lorelai took their son home. Luke went back to work at the diner and the town was used to the idea of having a little baby around and seemed to leave Luke and Lorelai alone now. Of course, when she was walking through town with the stroller, they had to look at him, but they didn't keep talking to her for minutes. They took a look and continued to walk after that.

They saw Richard and Emily once. It seemed like Emily had given in to the fact that the baby wasn't named after her husband, and realized that if she kept fighting it, that wouldn't make any difference, she would only end up not seeing him as much as she wanted to. Just like with Rory. She couldn't go through that again. But she also didn't want to come by too often, because they had to adjust to each other before adjusting to the rest of the family as well. Lorelai appreciated this a lot, but was happy the time her parents did visit, even if it was only once.

Luke was adjusted to the thought of being a father as well. He loved coming home to his family at the end of a hard day at work and take care of them. Of course he was still worried, but that's what makes a good father. He couldn't imagine a day without Lucan.

Lorelai on the other hand had more trouble adjusting. The first few nights Luke woke up when the baby was crying, but when he went back to work, he was so tired that he slept right through it. Besides, she was the one that could sleep during the day, so she was the one that had to get out and comfort him. She didn't remember that there was a time like this with Rory. She had always slept trough the night, from the beginning on. She went to bed after the last feeding, and didn't wake up until the next in the morning.  
Lucan woke up usually about 2 hours after his last feeding and started crying just as long till someone picked him up. He didn't seem to tired anymore and when Lorelai put him in bed when she hadn't gotten him to sleep yet, he would start crying immediately. During the day, he slept, but the nights….

Again this night. Lorelai woke up when she heard crying coming from the baby monitor. She sighed and glanced at Luke, who was sleeping soundly. She got out and put on her robe before she walked to the nursery. She picked up the little baby, whose face turned red with anger. Desperately she tried everything to calm him down. She was exhausted and all she wanted was to sleep. Unfortunately, Lucan thought otherwise. She tried to feed him, but he wasn't hungry. She changed his diaper, but it wasn't that dirty. She even changed his clothes because maybe he was uncomfortable. After struggling for almost an hour she saw that he became tired again, but of course he kept fighting. He had some character, that little guy she was holding in her arms. He didn't do anything he didn't want to do, even being this small.

Lorelai was exhausted, but she couldn't get herself to putting him into the crib and letting him cry himself to sleep. She sang to him, she talked to him, she read him a book, but he kept fighting of sleep. It was 4 o clock and she knew that no matter how late he would go to sleep, he would wake up again at 6 because he would be hungry. Luke would already be gone by then, but even if he was home, she still had to get out because she was breastfeeding.

After walking around trying to rock the baby to sleep, she let herself fall down in the rocking chair Luke had made for her. Lucan started crying immediately when she stopped rocking him.  
"Hey little fellow, mommy is really tired and I really want to go back to sleep now. We've tried everything here, I'm out of idea's." She rocked the chair gently in the hopes he would at least calm down again. She felt helpless and wished Luke was there to take over. But she couldn't wake him up. She had turned off the baby monitor and closed the door of the nursery so he wouldn't wake up from the crying. She found it important that he slept well, although with the helplessness she felt, it would be nice if he took over.  
"Come on baby. Mommy is so tired. I need to sleep." She lifted the baby to her chest, holding him close to her, hoping, that that would calm him down. It worked a little because the crying subsided. As she kept rocking she felt her eyes close and in the end they both fell asleep.

Luke found them when he woke up at his usual time. He was surprised not to find Lorelai in bed next to him, and walked into the nursery. He smiled when he saw his wife and his son, sleeping together in the rocking chair. He noticed the exhaustion Lorelai's face was showing. He wondered how long she had been up that night.  
He cursed himself for sleeping through anything, especially when it was his crying son. He wished he could do something for her, but she had to stay with the baby. He promised himself he would take off a day soon, so he could stay with Lucan, while Lorelai could catch up on her sleep.

He picked up the baby from Lorelai's arms and carried him to his crib. Very careful, afraid he would wake up. After he had made sure the baby kept sleeping, he walked towards Lorelai and picked her up as well, carrying her to their bedroom.  
She stayed asleep, just as Lucan did. After he covered her with the blankets, he kissed her forehead. Then he took some clothes out of the closet and walked towards the bathroom to take a shower. Before he left he checked on Lorelai and the baby again. He turned the baby monitor back on and left after kissing both of them goodbye.

When Lorelai woke up again she had no idea where she was. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that it was her own bed. She wondered how she got in there, because she didn't remember walking there. She checked the alarm clock and saw it was 6.30. Lucan was late this morning. She walked into the nursery and smiled when she found her son, still asleep. "How do you do that? First you keep me up during the night, and now you just sleep in?" She whispered. She went downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee, and smiled when she saw Luke had already filled the coffee maker. She put a pop tart in the toaster and it wasn't until 6.45 when she heard crying coming from the baby monitor, which she had taken downstairs with her.

She walked upstairs to feed him, and placed him back in bed so he could sleep for another hour and half or so. After that she went into the bathroom to take a long hot shower. She dressed herself and put on some make-up and went downstairs to read the newspaper. As expected Lucan woke up an hour and a half later, and she gave him a bath. After she dressed him she took him downstairs, straight into the stroller to go to Luke's for another cup of coffee.

He saw them coming far away, and didn't pay much attention to anything but them, until they were close enough, so he could help her get the stroller inside.

"Hey." He kissed her.

"Hey." She smiled when she pushed the stroller towards the counter and sat down on one of the stools.

Luke walked around and poured her a cup of coffee, still decaf of course.

"So," she said, as she sipped her coffee, "do you know how I got back in bed. Last thing I remember is sitting in the rocking chair, and next I know is that I wake up in bed."

"I found you and Lucan sleeping there so I put you both to bed."

"That explains a lot. I thought I was getting crazy."

"Not more then you already are." He smiled.

"Well thank you." She said, in a more sarcastic tone than intended.

"What's wrong?" He was worried by her reaction. Normally she wouldn't become angry at a joke.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to reply that harshly. I'm just a little tired, since your son thinks the night is the best time to wake up and not wanting to be in bed."

"He kept you up long?"

"For over an hour. He woke up at his usual time and I tried everything, but he kept crying and wouldn't go back to sleep. I even tried to change his clothes, because I thought maybe he was uncomfortable, but nothing worked. All I wanted was to, sleep you know. But he didn't . I was tired of walking around so I sat down in the rocking chair and I think in the end we both fell asleep."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you need to sleep. You're working the whole day so you need to sleep at night."

"Yeah, well so do you."

"Well, someone has to get out right? And I think that one is supposed to be me. I can rest during the day."

"But you shouldn't be the one that has to do everything. I'm here too."

She knew he tried to be kind, but she couldn't take that at the moment. She wasn't looking for compassion. "But you're exhausted Luke. Otherwise you would wake up as soon as you hear him crying." She gave him an angry look.

"Like it's my fault I can sleep through everything." He was hurt by her reaction.

"Well, it's certainly not my fault."

"I didn't said it was." He was speaking louder than he meant.

"I know. Whatever. I have to get out of here." She took the stroller with her and left the diner without saying another word.

Luke watched her leave and wondered what had just happened. 'Did I do something wrong? I thought I was just being nice…'

Lorelai went home very angry. She entered the house, but it was, of course all empty.She couldn't handle this. She was a hard working woman and now she had to spent all her time alone at the house. Of course there was Lucan, but he was sleeping most of the time. Except at night of course. The day before, she went to the Dragonfly. It was busy but they seemed to handle it very well without her. She only spoke to Sookie for a brief moment, and Michel complained about the baby being there. It hurt her that they didn't need her like she thought they needed her. Sookie had sent her home with the baby after 10 minutes or so, telling her that she needed to enjoy this period.

She had no idea where to go now. She couldn't go there again, but she couldn't stay home either. She felt like the walls were coming down on her, and now she was fighting with Luke as well. For a moment she considered going back and making up with him, but she wasn't ready for that. She was exhausted and needed someone to talk to. She wished Rory was here. She checked her watch, but she was still in class. She couldn't disturb her there.  
Where else to go? She looked at her son and there was only one place that would come up to her. She picked up the baby and placed him into his car seat. After that she walked towards the car and put him in the passenger seat. She walked around to her side of the car and sat down. She closed her eyes for a while before she started the engine and drove away.

Half an hour later she parked her car on the Gilmore driveway. She walked around the car to get Lucan and walked towards the front door. Before she could ring the bell, Emily opened the door. "Lorelai?"

"Hey mom."

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd show him where I grew up. Guessed the shock would be less now he's still so little."

Emily looked at her daughter and decided to let the comment go. "Come in, Lorelai."

"Well thanks, mom." Lorelai walked into the living room and set the carrier on the floor. After that she took of her coat and handed it to her mother.

"Tea?" Her mother asked, before she walked away.  
"Decaf coffee?"

Emily nodded and walked away.

Lorelai kneeled next to her son and took of his coat. He woke up at the process so she picked him up. She checked her watch to see if he could be hungry already. Another fifteen minutes till its time to feed him.

The little boy opened his eyes. It was as if he was looking at his mother, although of course, she knew better. She smiled at him and whispered. "I'm sorry kiddo. I didn't meant to be so harsh to your daddy. I love you very much and I don't mind waking up in the middle of the night. I'm just so tired."

Emily, who was back in the living room, stayed far enough away so she could see the interaction between Lorelai and the baby, and Lorelai wouldn't notice her presence. She walked in further and sat down at the couch next to her. "He grows fast." She took Lucan's little hand in hers.

"He does?"

"Yeah, it's been a week since I saw him, and I can see he grew."

"Oh… didn't really noticed that."

"That's because you see him every day. Kathy will be here with the coffee soon."

"Okay, thanks mom." She looked at her son. "Here, you take him. He should get hungry soon, but I bet he likes to spent some time with you."

Emily took him gratefully. She watched her grandson as he lay in her arms.

Lorelai stood up. "Excuse me."

Emily nodded. "Sure, he's fine in here."

Lorelai nodded back and walked towards the bathroom. When she came back a couple of minutes later, she watched her mother holding her son. She was talking to him, but she couldn't hear what she was saying. She smiled and thought how happy she was that her mother wasn't angry anymore. She walked closer and sat down next to her mother again.

"Is he hungry already?"

"He's getting a little fussy, so he could be."

She took her son from her mother's arms and asked, "Do you want me to go upstairs?"

"No, you can stay."

Lorelai smiled as she opened her blouse.

Meanwhile at the diner Luke dialed their home number. After a few rings the answering machine picked up. 'She must be busy,' he thought. He tried again 5 minutes later, but again the machine picked up. He tried her cell phone, but there he got her voicemail. 'Maybe they are sleeping.' He checked his watch and decided to check up on them for a while. "Caesar, I'm going home. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Sure boss."

Luke took his truck home. There he walked inside the house immediately, not noticing that the car was gone. "Lorelai?" He walked into the living room, and noticed the stroller there. He looked inside, but it was empty. He checked the kitchen, and upstairs later, but nobody was home. "Where are you?" He looked out the front window and this time did notice the car was gone. They decided that they needed a family car when Lorelai was a few months pregnant. Luke wanted to take away his truck, but Lorelai said she would take away the jeep. They argued about it for a while, and decided to go with Lorelai's plan. They found a nice car at the first shop they checked. They took a test ride and decided to go with it.

Luke was worried, Lorelai didn't mention going anywhere. She took a walk on occasion, but this was different. She had taken the car. He wouldn't have cared if she hadn't been so upset earlier. He picked up the phone and dialed the number of the Dragonfly. Michel answered and Luke asked if Lorelai was there.

"No." He hung up.

Luke became angry and dialed again.

"Dragonfly inn, Michel speaking.

"This is Luke. Have you seen Lorelai today, and don't hang up on me this time."

"No. Haven't seen her and that child today." Michel replied in his annoying voice.

"Can I speak to Sookie please?"

"Sure."

After a few seconds he heard Sookie's voice. "Luke?"

"Sookie. Have you seen Lorelai?"

"Not since yesterday, why?"

"I can't find her. She isn't answering her cell."

"She came by yesterday, but she left after 10 minutes or so. We were very busy." She felt guilty as she spoke the words.

"Can you ask her to call me if you see her?"

"Sure."

"Okay thanks." Luke hang up. 'Where else could you be?' He had no idea. He left her a note to call him when she came back, and went back to the diner, because lunch rush would start soon.

Lorelai changed Lucan's diaper when he was fed. After that she placed him back in the car seat. He immediately started crying so she picked him up again.

"Hey little fellow. This isn't your daily routine. You only do this during the night."

"Is he keeping you awake at night?"

"Yes, usually he wakes up about 2 hours after I fed him. He starts crying and won't stop until I pick him up. I tried everything, but he just doesn't want to sleep anymore. It takes over an hour before he falls back asleep again. And even then you have to make sure he's asleep and not just dozing off, otherwise he'll start all over again. He normally sleeps during the day, so I have no idea what's wrong with him. He's fed, he's all cleaned up and he's tired."

"He looks more like you than you think you know."

"What do you mean?"

"You were just like him when you were a baby. Even when you were really tired, you still fought to keep your eyes open. Afraid you would miss anything. Maybe he looks like Luke, but he definitely has your character."

"It's a good thing he looks like Luke."

"You where a beautiful baby Lorelai."

"I believe we argued about this before." Lorelai smiled.

"You look tired."

"I am. God I am. I worked hard but I was never this tired. How come I can't take care of a baby? It wasn't like this with Rory. I think I'm getting old. I can't do this anymore. I'm exhausted and I don't know what to do anymore. He just keeps crying." She looked at the baby in her arms as tears made her vision blur. "I can't do this mom. I can't."

"Sure you can. It was like this with Rory. She kept you up the first few weeks as well, but the good things made you forget about that. You were so tired back then as well. And you didn't let anyone help you. But now you have Luke to help you. You have to let him help you Lorelai. You know he wants to."

"How do you know I won't let him?"

"Because I know you."

"But he's working at the diner the entire day. He's tired when he comes home. I can't ask him to get out in the middle of the night just because our son doesn't want to sleep anymore. He needs his rest. He told me that I should wake him but I can't mom. I just can't. I would feel guilty."

"You have to let him take care of you. You are exhausted and that can't be good for you" She took over the baby who seemed to calm down immediately.

"How do you do that?"

"He senses that your tense, that makes him upset."

"So now you're telling me that I make my son upset?" Tears were rolling down her cheeks now.

"Why don't you let me take care of him for a while and you go upstairs to rest? There are clean sheets on your bed."

"But he."

"He's fed, his diaper is cleaned, and he's going to be just fine. Take a few hours of sleep without having to worry about him. It'll do you good, and you'll see everything a lot different when you're not tired anymore."

Lorelai wiped away her tears and nodded. "Thanks mom. But are you sure you don't have to go anywhere? That you can take care of him?"

"I don't have to be anywhere but here. And we'll be just fine."

Lorelai nodded again and walked upstairs to her old room. She didn't think about how weird it was to be there, climbed under the covers and fell asleep almost immediately.

Lorelai woke up 3 hours later. She felt a lot better. She found her mother reading a book in the living room. The baby was sleeping in his car seat.

"Hey."

"Hello. Did you sleep well?" Emily looked up from her book.

"Yes, I feel a lot better now. Thanks mom."

"Your welcome. I'm glad I could help."

"I better go home now. Lucan will wake up soon, being hungry. And Luke has no idea where I am. He might get worried when I don't show up for dinner."

"He eats every three hours right? And it's been 3 hours since he ate so he must wake up soon. It's half an hour drive, so why don't you stay here until he wakes up. And you can call Luke so he knows where you are."

"Sounds like a good plan." Lorelai picked up her purse and noticed her cell phone wasn't on. She turned it on and a message arrived on the display that she had 6 new voicemail messages. She listened to them. They were all Luke's. That's when she realized how worried he was. She dialed the number of the diner and he picked up at the first ring. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah it's me."

"Thank God. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm at my parents house. I just had to leave and well, I thought I'd show Lucan where I grew up. So he can get used to it and the shock won't be so big later." She used the same joke she used with her mother earlier, hoping that would make it a little easier for him.

"I tried calling you and you didn't answer so I went home but you weren't there. I left you a note to call me and you didn't call me back and you didn't answer your cell."

"I'm sorry. My cell was accidentally turned off and when I got here I was just so tired. I fed Lucan and my mother sent me to bed afterwards. I just woke up. I'm staying here until Lucan ate again. I'll come home after that okay?"

"When will that be?"

"An hour or so."

"I'll meet you there? I'll take the evening off so we can have diner together at home?"

"I'd like that." Lorelai smiled. She felt a lot better.

As promised Lorelai was home a little more than an hour later. She found Luke in the kitchen preparing diner. She placed the car seat on the table and walked up behind him, putting her arms around his waist. "Hey."

"Hey." He turned a little so he could kiss her.

"You still mad at me?"

"No. You still mad at me?"

"No. I'm sorry Luke. I…"

"Shhhh…." He placed another kiss on her lips. "It's okay." He stirred the pan and put the spatula down. He turned around and looked at his son. "He's okay?"

"Just fine. He fell asleep before we left my parents driveway."

"Well, it is very long." Luke smiled.

"No arguments here." Lorelai smiled back. "I think I'm taking him to his bed upstairs and take a shower. Do I have time for that or is dinner ready?"

"No, take your time. We can eat whenever you're ready."

"Thanks." She kissed him before she picked up the car seat and headed upstairs.

That night Luke and Lorelai where laying on the couch, watching a movie together. After a few minutes Lorelai turned it off though. Luke looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Just… can we talk?"

"Sure." He sat up so he could look at her.

She did the same. "This morning in the diner, you where right."

"What do you mean?"

"I was tired. I've been up every night for the past two weeks and I did sleep a little during the day, but only a little at the time, sometimes even making me more tired instead of less. And the truth is I didn't want to bother you with it. I decided that I could handle it myself. I run an inn, so I can handle a baby as well. But…" She stopped and looked away.

He turned her chin so she had to face him again. "What?" He prompted.

"I don't think I can do this alone anymore, Luke. I can't. I'm getting too old for this."

He shook his head. "You don't have to. Where did you get the idea that you have to do this alone? We're in this together. I want to be there for the two of you. I can get out during a night as well. You don't have to do this alone Lorelai. We're married, remember?"

"I remember. It's just…. I'm not used to this you know. I'm used to doing everything by myself and I forget that you're there, too."

"You shouldn't. I can leave the diner to Lane and Caesar for a day. All you have to do is ask. And even though I don't wake up when he cries, that doesn't mean that you have to get out every night. We have to come up with a system so that you won't be so exhausted anymore, because I don't want you to be."

"I don't want to be either." She paused and after a few seconds she said "I went to the inn yesterday…"

"I know, Sookie told me."

"Sookie?"

"I called her when I couldn't find you, I thought that maybe you where there."

"Oh.. yeah… they didn't need me there Luke. Michel was complaining about the baby being there and Sookie sent me away within 10 minutes, telling me they could handle things without me and that I should go home to enjoy my time with him. They don't need me there. What if they will never need me again? I love taking care of him, but I need to work as well. I feel like the walls are coming down on me. And they didn't want me there, not even just to look around.  
And you don't need me at the diner. When I came there after Sookie sent me away and I tried helping you by serving people, you sent me away as well. That just upset me…" She had to swallow away the lump in her throat. "And I just upset my son as well. My mother told me so. He was crying so I picked him up, and he kept crying and crying. So she took him from me and he stopped. So he doesn't even need me. He just cries when I hold him Luke. I don't know what to do. My mother helped me this afternoon and that was nice, but I don't know what to do…" She couldn't speak anymore as she was crying now.

Luke took her in her arms and felt her sobs. "Shh.. it's okay Lorelai. It's okay." He had so much he wanted to tell her, but she had to calm down before she could listen to him. Speaking now would only take things the wrong way.

After a few minutes he felt her calm down so he pulled away just enough so he could look at her. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Lorelai, we need you. We all need you. I need you, Lucan needs you, Rory needs you, the Dragonfly needs you. We all, with the exception of Lucan, wanted to give you some time to adjust with him, instead of running around helping us. But I like it when you are around in the diner, and so does Sookie at the inn. She never meant to send you away. She told me she would call tonight, and I bet she would love it when you step by there tomorrow, just to catch up. You can leave Lucan with me at the diner, so you can talk without him disturbing you. Michel will be Michel so I have nothing to say about that.

And Lucan. He needs you. You're his mother, and he needs you. I think you were upset and that's why he became upset as well."

"That's what my mother said."

"Than I guess she was right. I'm here, you know that right? I know that with Rory you had to do it all alone, and you did a great job raising her. But you don't have to do it alone anymore. You know that, right?"

"I do. I do." She tried to smile, but another tear found it's way down her cheek.

"Let's make a deal. Tonight, when he wakes up, you wake me up. We'll need some kind of schedule so we both get enough sleep. You take one night, I'll take another."

"But what if he gets hungry?"

"Did he ever wake up hungry?"

"No. He just wakes up and isn't tired anymore."

"And maybe if we change his schedule a little we can get him to sleep in later, and maybe we can get him to sleep trough the night as well in the end."

"That would be nice."

"Until than we just take turns okay?"

"I'd like that. But you need…"

"Lorelai."

"I'd like that." She gave him a real smile now.

"And we can get him a bottle. If he wakes up and does want something I can just give him some water. Water is good right?"

"Water will be fine. It has to be bottled water though."

"Of course." He looked at her and saw the sparkle in her eyes he loved so much, and missed the last few days. "So we're okay?"

"We're better than okay."

"I'm glad." He kissed her. "How much time before Lucan wakes up again?"

She checked her watch. "An hour and a half."

"That's just enough time to finish the movie." He took the remote and turned it back on. She snuggled up against him and they enjoyed the movie. Just when the credits rolled down the screen, they heard crying coming from the baby monitor.

"He has perfect timing." Lorelai smiled.

"Yes he has."

"Let's go upstairs, take him to bed with us?"

"Sure. And then you have a nice long night of sleep ahead of you."

"You know, that sounds absolutely wonderful."

"That's how it will be."

Lorelai stood up, and Luke did the same. He picked up the baby monitor in the process. There was still crying audible. "Yeah yeah, we're coming."

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you believe that there was a time when he wasn't there to control us?"

"Honestly I can't."

"Neither can I."

Lorelai turned of the light, and Luke put his arm around her shoulder and together they ascended the stairs, where the baby was waiting for someone to pick him up.


	26. Unwanted return

_A/N: First of course a big thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading!  
__Second, thanks for all of you that reviewed the last chapter. Again, so many reviews that made me happy, each of them! It's great to hear what you are thinking of the things I write. Most of you keep asking me about Rory, so I decided that she will show up in this chapter. But of course, in my own special way ;)_

**Chapter 26 Unwanted return **

Lorelai woke up from a crazy sounds. When she opened her eyes she saw that Luke had woken up as well. It took them both a few seconds to realize that it was the phone that was ringing. Lorelai turned around to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Lorelai?"

"Dad?" Luke looked at her with questioning eyes. She lifted her shoulders and sat up a little so she could see the time on the alarm clock on Luke's side. It said 2.30 a.m. Lorelai waited for her father to say something, but nothing came. "Dad? What's wrong? It's 2.30 a.m. Why are you calling me?"

"It's…."

"What is it dad? Did something happened to mom?" Lorelai heard some sniffling. "Dad, talk to me. Where are you?"

Richard sighed and tried to compose himself. After a minute or so he found his voice and spoke. "I'm at the hospital. You're mother and I were in a car accident. We've been to a party and I drove back and a truck didn't see us. He drove over a red light and hit us in the right side of the car, where you're mother was seated. She didn't open her eyes. I asked her to open her eyes but she didn't. There was so much blood and she didn't react to anything. I used my cell phone to call an ambulance and we had to wait forever. I tried to get her out of the car but the door was stuck. The fireman's had to take her out. She wasn't breathing anymore so they put a tube down her throat to help her breath."

"How is she doing dad?"

"I don't know. They are still working on her and they won't tell me anything."

"How are you dad?"

"Only a few bruises, nothing serious."

"Okay. Which hospital are you?"

"Hartford Medical Centre."

"Okay hang on, okay dad? We'll be there as soon as we can."

"I'm scared Lorelai."

"I know dad. I know. We'll be there in half an hour or so."

"Okay."

After that all Lorelai heard was a beeping sound. She listened to it for a few seconds before she realized that her father had hung up. She dropped the phone on the bed and searched for Luke's eyes. She felt her words getting stuck in her throat as she wanted to speak. Luke laid his hand on hers and waited for Lorelai to find her voice again. "My parents were in a car accident. My father is okay, but my mom is seriously hurt." She whispered after a while.

Luke nodded and stepped out of bed, he walked to the closet and pulled out some jeans, a shirt and a flannel. Lorelai watched him for a few seconds before she walked to the closet herself, picking some jeans and a warm sweater to dress herself with. As soon as Luke was dressed he walked towards the nursery to get the baby. He dressed him in a ski suit. Lucan started to cry in confusion.

Lorelai walked into the room after a few seconds. "What are you doing?"

"Dressing him warm. It's cold outside."

"Why don't you leave him in bed?"

"Because he's too little to stay at home alone."

"But… you can stay with him. I can go to the hospital by myself."

"We aren't even going to argue about that. Hand me the car seat will ya?"

Lorelai nodded and did what was asked. Luke placed the baby in the car seat and they went downstairs to get their coats. Lorelai went back upstairs to get her purse, while Luke went outside to get Lucan in the car. He was done by the time she exited the house and locked the door behind her.

Lucan fell asleep soon after the car had started moving, Lorelai had to smile at that. "We walk around with him for over an hour, and all it takes for him to fall asleep is a 2 minute drive in the car."

"Good to know right?"

"Yeah I guess." She stared out the window doubting whether to call Rory or not.

Luke watched her and knew exactly what she was thinking. "You can call her as soon as we have some more information. We know nothing about your mom's condition, so she would only get more worried until we are able to tell her what's going on."

Lorelai looked at him and replied. "But she has to know right? I can't keep this from her."

"You won't. We'll tell her, just not immediately. It's better if we can give her more information than that we have right now."

"I guess.." She stared out of the window again. After a few minutes she said. "I can't believe he did this again."

"He did what?"

"This is the second time you rush me to the hospital. Although rush is probably a wrong word, considering all the people that were passing us the first time, and would be passing us now if it wasn't this crazy time. Who would be driving at this hour." At the same time a car passed them. "Well, obviously some people are. Where would they be going? Maybe they have to go to the hospital as well because their parents are scarring them to death. I can't believe they are doing this to me again. Getting hit by a truck. It's in the middle of the night. Why the hell are they outside driving a car. And why is someone driving over a red light? What the hell is going on there Luke? How hard can it be. Red you have to stop. Green you can drive.…" Tears were rolling down her cheek as she whispered. "I'm scared Luke. I promised Lucan he can grow up in front of his grandfather, that's why we didn't named him after him. But what about his grandmother? What if she dies? We're finally getting along, for the first time in my life I actually like to go to my mothers, and now…"

The only thing Luke could do at this moment was taking Lorelai's hand in his, while he kept the other one on the steering wheel. The gesture seemed to calm her down a little, but only a little.

She kept quiet during the rest of the trip as did Luke. He kept holding her hand, while he drove the car towards the hospital. When they were almost there he stopped in front of the main entrance. "You go inside. I'll park the car and take Lucan with me. I'll find you."

Lorelai nodded and kissed him on his cheek before stepping out of the car, running into the hospital.

She found her father in the emergency room waiting area. He had some cuts on his face and he looked devastated. He was sitting there with his head in his hands. Lorelai sat down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Dad?"

"Lorelai." Richard looked up. "In the ambulance her heart stopped beating, and they had to shock her. She is hurt so badly. She can't die Lorelai. She can't. I know I promised her she can go first, but not now. Not yet. She's too young. I need her."

"Where is she now?"

"They are still doing test on her. Nobody is telling me anything."

"You didn't go to find out?" Lorelai tried to hide that she was surprised.

"I tried, but I couldn't stand up. Will you?"

Lorelai nodded and walked to the admission desk. "Hello?"

"Hello. Can I help you?"

"My mother was brought in with an ambulance over an hour ago, and my father is waiting for someone to talk to, but no-one came so far. Isn't there anybody who can tell us anything about her condition?"

"What's your mother's name?"

"Emily Gilmore."

"Mrs Gilmore was brought in after a car accident. They are still working on her in trauma 2. You have to wait a little while longer before someone can talk to you. I'm sorry."

"Isn't there any doctor that can talk to my father? He looks devastated. Look at him." She pointed at her father. "That man over there isn't my father. He looks nothing like my father. My father doesn't get scared. And that man over there is terrified.

"I'm sorry ma'am. You have to wait. A doctor will be with you as soon as they have some information about your mother."

"That's not good enough."

"I'm sorry." The woman turned around and walked away.

"Hey…" Lorelai shouted after her. "This is no way to treat a person. I'm asking you politely and you just turn around and walk away from me?" The woman just kept walking.

Lorelai felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned around she looked into Luke's eyes.

"How is she?"

"They won't tell us. She's in some trauma room and the doctors are still working on her. I asked if someone could go talk to my father, but that stupid nurse over there just walked away."

"Maybe she went to get someone?"

"She said she couldn't help me and that she was sorry, and then she walked away. Trust me, she's not getting someone."

"Oh.. How's your father holding up?"

"Look at him. That man sitting over there is nothing like my father. He's crying Luke. Never in my whole life have I seen my father cry. Not once. The closest he got was when my grandmother died 2 years ago. What am I supposed to do Luke? What am I supposed to do?"

"I think all we can do is sit down and wait as well…"

"That's not good enough Luke. I need to do something."

"I know you do, but unfortunately we don't have a choice right now."

"Yes I do…" Lorelai turned away from Luke and started walking.

"Lorelai." She didn't listened and kept walking. She looked at the signs on the doors, and after a few minutes she found the room she was looking for. 'Trauma 2.' She looked trough the window and saw a bed in the middle of the room, al lot of people around it. They were wearing green coats and there was blood on the floor. She tried to look at the face of the woman lying on the table, but they were in front of it so she couldn't see anything. All she saw was a couple of feet, but she couldn't tell if it were the feet of her mother.

Again she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, expecting to see Luke's eyes, but she looked in the eyes of a woman. A nurse. "Ma'am, you shouldn't be here."

"That woman in there, is that my mother?"

"What's your mother's name?"

"Emily Gilmore."

"If you come with me, I'll try and see if I can find out anything. But you can't stay here, okay?"

Lorelai nodded and followed the woman. They walked back to the desk, where the lady from before was sitting again. The nurse looked at the board, than walked behind the desk to look at a chart. She nodded and walked back towards Lorelai. "It looks like that woman in the room is your mother. She was in a car accident. They brought her in over an hour ago. I don't know anything about her condition, but I will go into the room and see if I can find out anything. But you have to wait here okay?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Good. What's your name ma'am?"

"Lorelai. Lorelai Danes."

"Okay, are you alone here Mrs. Danes?"

"No, my father and my husband are sitting over there."

"Then why don't you go over there as well, and sit with them. I'll be back in a few minutes okay?"

Lorelai nodded. "Thanks."

She walked to the waiting area and sat down next to her father again. Luke was sitting on the other side. The car seat with Lucan in it, placed on the floor.

"A nurse will be here in a few minutes with some information."

Richard didn't even look up, but just nodded his head.

Lorelai stood up again and walked to the other side and sat down next to Luke. She looked at her son and saw his ski suit was still closed. She wanted to comment that, but just kneeled down next to him to do it herself instead. Because she was nervous she was a little more rough than intended, waking up the baby in the process, who of course started crying.

Luke watched his wife picking up the baby and shook his head. He intentionally left the ski suit on, noticing that the hospital wasn't that warm, so it wouldn't be a problem. Knowing she would start a scene if he told her that, he kept quiet as well.

Lorelai laid the baby against her chest as she started to walk around, trying to calm him down again. There were only a few people in the waiting area, but they all turned to watch her. Lorelai noticed this and felt very uncomfortable, knowing that she caused the scene.

The nurse from earlier came back after a few minutes, as promised. She had brought a doctor with her.

"Mrs Danes?"

"I'm sorry. He woke up and started crying. He's confused because he's not in bed and…."

"That's okay. We have crying children here all the time. People are used to it."

Lorelai looked around her and noticed that the people were back doing whatever they were doing before. "Oh. How is my mother?"

"Maybe you should take a seat."

"This is okay thanks." She nodded at the baby in her arms.

Luke stood up as well and put his arm around Lorelai's shoulder. Richard remained in his seat, but looked up at the nurse, his eyes hopeful.

"My name is Dr. Watters. I am one of the doctors that was working on your mother" he looked at Richard "and your wife. During the ride to the hospital her heart wasn't beating in the right rhythm. They shocked her heart to get it in the right rhythm again. When they brought her in here, her heartbeat was strong and regular, but she wasn't breathing on her own, that's why we put a tube down her throat to help her breath. Her blood pressure was very low so we gave her lots of fluid, hoping it would be better. It helped a little bit, but not as much as we hoped for. There were some x-rays taken in the trauma room from her spine and from her chest. Fortunately no fractures where to be seen, but one of her lungs collapsed. We had to put a tube in her chest to re-infiltrate it. When we were about to take her to x-ray for a CT her heartbeat was dropping again. We shocked her heart for a few times and were able to get it back into rhythm. We decided to skip CT and take her upstairs immediately. We did an ultrasound and she has fluid in the abdomen, so we had to bring her into surgery to see where the blood is coming from." He turned to Richard. "You have to sign the consent form."

Richard nodded and signed the papers the doctor handed him.

"Doctor, what are my mothers chances?" Lorelai wiped away some tears from her eyes.

"I can't say anything about that. We have to see how the surgery is going, and have to take it from there. Her condition is very serious."

"So she can die?"

"Unfortunately, yes, that could happen."

"Oh my God." Lorelai started crying harder.

The pager of the doctor started beeping. "They already took your mother upstairs. You can go to the surgical waiting room if you'd like. Julie here will take you there whenever you're ready. If you excuse me, they need me somewhere else." With that he turned around and walked away.

Lorelai turned to Luke and started sobbing even harder. He took her in his arms, carefully not to crush the baby in between them.

"It's going to be okay." He whispered, only hoping that he was right.

"Don't Luke.. don't." She cried as she held the still crying baby in her arms. As before, he became even more upset because his mother was upset as well.

"Lorelai." Julie placed an arm on her shoulder.

Lorelai turned around.

"Hand me the baby."

Lorelai did what she was told and turned around in her husbands embrace again. After a few minutes she was able to control herself. She looked at her father. He was staring in front of him. His face was showing no emotion at all.

"Dad?" She sat down next to him again, whipping away the tears from her eyes.

He didn't respond.

"Dad? You want to go upstairs now?"

He turned around and looked at his daughter. "What have I done?"

"What do you mean?"

"I lied before when I called you. The police told me after I hung up on you. The guy from the truck wasn't the one driving through the red light. It was me. If she dies, I can never forgive myself Lorelai."

Lorelai swallowed away the lump in her throat. "Mom's going to be okay. She's very strong. She's going to be pissed off at you for missing the red light, but she's going to be just fine. I promise you dad."

He just nodded, not being able to speak.

Lorelai turned to face Luke. "Can you take Lucan and my father upstairs to the surgical waiting room? I'm going outside to call Rory."

"I can do that."

"No. I appreciate the offer, but I have to do it myself. Just take care of my father and the baby okay?"

"Okay." He took Richard by his arm to pull him up from the chair. Than he picked up the car seat and followed Julie towards the elevator. Lorelai watched them leave, and headed outside to make the phone call.

Rory was just about to leave her dorm room when her phone rang. She took Warren's hand to stop him from walking out the door. "Just a sec. I have to take it." She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Rory?"

"Mom? What's going on. I'm just leaving for class so it has to be in the middle of the night there. Did Lucan woke you up again?."

"No, not Lucan this time. Rory, sit down for me okay?"

"Why, what's going on?" She did as she was told. Warren looked at her, his eyes questioning. She mouthed 'my mother.' He nodded and sat down next to her. "Okay I'm sitting."

"About an hour ago your grandfather called me…"

"Oh my God, is he okay? Why is he calling you in the middle of the night?"

"Well hon, I was just about to tell you before you interrupted me."

"Oh right. Sorry."

"Okay, listen to me. He called me and told me that he and grandma were in a car accident. He is fine, just a few bruises, but grandma is hurt pretty bad."

Lorelai paused so Rory figured it was her time to speak. "How bad mom?"

"They just took her upstairs for surgery. She has a collapsed lung and she is bleeding internally. And she has some trouble with her heart as well. They had to shock her heart a few times to get it back into rhythm." Again she paused.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"They don't know Rory. She's hurt really really bad. They actually said that she could die." Lorelai's voice was shaking when she spoke the words out loud.

Immediately, Rory's eyes filled with tears. Warren put a arm around her shoulder, figuring she was getting some bad news. "She could die? Oh my God." She whispered the words.

"I know. I don't know what to do Rory. My father is completely in shock and Lucan won't stop crying as I accidentally woke him up and…."

"How long will the surgery take?"

"They don't know. As long as it takes I guess."

"Well, that's a vague answer."

"I know. I'm sorry honey. I.. I just don't know what to do."

"I'm coming home, right now."

"You don't have to."

"Mom, you just told me grandma could actually die. I'm not going to stay here and wait for some news. I'm asking Warren to take me to the airport and I'm going to take the next flight home."

"Okay." Lorelai let her daughters words sink in. "Who's Warren?"  
"Oh.. eh.. my boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend? And you tell me now? Why didn't you tell me before? Last time I asked you said, no boys, I'm being all serious and I can't use a boy for that."

"Well I lied okay? But do we have to talk about that now? We had our first date the last time you asked, I thought it was a little to soon to tell."

"You could have told me anyway. Besides, that was over 2 months ago."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just, the last time all we talked about was Lucan really. Don't be mad mom. I just really want to pack and come home now."

"Okay. Just make sure you'll come home safe okay?"

"I promise. I call you from the airport."

"No cell phones allowed inside."

"Oh right… well I call the hospital. I'll search the number on the internet before I leave."  
"Okay. That sounds like a good plan."  
"Good. I'm going now mom. Just take care okay? Everything will be okay."

"I hope so babe. I hope so."

"I love you mom."

"I love you too Rory." With that Rory hang up.

"What's going on?" Warren turned Rory so she had to face him. "My grandmother was in a car accident. Her condition is critical. I have to take the next flight home. There is a chance that she dies. Can you please take me to the airport?"

He pulled a crying Rory to his chest and let her calm down. After a while she pulled back and asked. "Can you google the number of the Hartford Memorial Centre? I need the number to call my mother from the airport. I'll go pack my bag."

"Okay."

A few minutes later they were both ready and headed outside towards his car. Inside the car, Warren looked at Rory. "You haven't told your mother about me?"

"No, it didn't come up yet."

"Why not? We've been together for 2 months and not once did you mention me? You talk a lot, and not once you mentioned me Rory. Why?" He was hurt.

"Warren please, I have too much on my mind to fight about this now. I can't do that. I can explain though. My mother is afraid that I won't come home if I have a boyfriend. She had enough on her mind right now, so I didn't want to worry her."

"But…"

"Warren, I just really want to go home right now. I don't want to fight about this. I can't fight about this. Not now okay?"

He looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes. "Of course. Let's take you home." He smiled at her sympathetically.

Lorelai walked upstairs and found the surgical waiting room without a problem. Her father was sitting in the same position he was sitting downstairs earlier. Luke was holding a sleeping Lucan in his arms. She sat down next to him and he placed a hand on her knee.

"How did she take it?"

"She's coming home. I told her it wasn't necessary but she found it was." Tears filled her eyes. "I've been waiting for this moment forever but I never planned it to be like this. I don't want to get my daughter back and loose my mother in the process. This isn't fair."  
"Nobody says it is."

Lorelai looked at him with questioning eyes. "What?"

"Nobody says it is fair." He simply replied.

"It's just hard you know." She decided to ignore his comment. "I want to be happy about her coming home, and I hope that she won't leave again, but it's not fair to think that. I hate myself for thinking that. This can't be a good thing because Rory is coming back. I can't look at this from the bright side. That wouldn't be fair to my mother now would it?"

"She'll understand." Richard looked up.

"What?" Lorelai stared at her father.

"When she wakes up and sees Rory standing next to her bed, she'll think it was worth it. She's a strong woman, your mother. She's not going to die, so you can be happy that Rory's coming back. I'm going to get a newspaper."

"What?" Lorelai was confused with her fathers sudden behaviour.

"I'm going to get myself a newspaper. Can I bring you anything? Coffee, tea? A magazine? We have to wait for a while so we better make the best out of it."

"Oh uhm… coffee please. I can come with you." Lorelai stood up as well.

"No sit. You stay with your son and your husband, I'll be right back."

Lorelai nodded and sat down next to Luke again, watching her father walk away. She rubbed her temples as she felt the stress providing her with a headache. After a few minutes she said: "What just happened?"

"Your father went to get a newspaper."

"What's getting into him. First he's just sitting there staring in front of him, showing no emotion, and now he's acting like nothing has happened? Like my mother can't die in the operating room over there."

"Lorelai." Luke turned a little so he could face her. You're father is in shock. I don't believe he completely understands what's going on. He knows, but he doesn't realize what's going on completely. His shock is acting, not your father himself. My father did the same thing when he found out my mother was sick. He didn't realize what was happening until it was too late."

Lorelai was at a loss of words. She had no idea what to say. A thousand thoughts filled her mind, making the headache even worse. She had to get out of the hospital. She had to go outside and run around like crazy. She wanted to fall apart and never stop crying. And she wanted to stay strong for her son, afraid that her stress would affect him again. So she just remained in her seat, letting Luke's words sink in. It was the first time he mentioned his mother. She looked at him again.

"Was she sick for long?"

"No, not really. My father told me and Liz when they had admitted her to the hospital for chemotherapy. She spent a few days at the hospital, then coming back home, while she was really sick, and then back to the hospital for more chemo. It didn't take long before they realized it wasn't working. She died within a few months."

"What about your father?"

"He visited her during visiting hours, and spent all the other time in the store. He worked so hard being in complete denial. He hired a nurse to take care of her during the time she spent at home. He just kept working. I knew he regretted that. He never talked about it though. A few days before he died he told me how he regretted not spending those last few months with my mother, and he made me promise that whenever I would be in the same situation, I'd do it differently. And I did."

"Were you close with your mother?" Lorelai took the opportunity of Luke's openness to get to know as much as possible.

"Not as close as with my father. I was a boy and I loved hanging around with him. I loved hanging around with my mother as well, but it was different."

"Like he was your role model?"

"Yeah, sort of." He thought for a few seconds before he continued. "I hope I can get the same relationship with Lucan as I had with my dad. Something like you have with Rory."

"Right now you're the one that got him to sleep. I'm the one that got him crying again, so far you're getting a head start." Lorelai laughed, although she thought it would have hurt to speak those words out loud. It didn't. Not when she saw the look in his eyes when he had spoken the words. She wished for him to have that, What her and Rory are sharing, even though that means that she can't have that with him.

"Actually he was asleep before that nurse handed him to me." He realized as well that if he wanted that relationship with Lucan, Lorelai couldn't get it, and that made him feel guilty.

Lorelai knew that however. "It's okay. I hope that you can have it. What I have with Rory. Just cherish it as long as you have it, because before you know they are all grown up and don't tell you everything anymore."

"What do you mean."

"Apparently Rory has a boyfriend. She's been dating him for over 2 months and not once she mentioned him."

"For over 2 months? And she never mentioned him? That doesn't sound like Rory."

"She's changing Luke. Like I said, before you know they don't need you anymore."

"She needs you Lorelai. There must be a reason why she didn't tell you."

"I know that. But it still hurts you know. She used to tell me everything. But lately things are changing, especially the past year and that hurts. No matter how many times I tell myself that she's growing up and that it's a good thing, I just want back the relationship we had before she went to college. I'd give anything for that."

"Maybe you will."

"No I won't. But that's okay. I'm getting used to the idea."

"There's still Lucan."  
"That's different. I can never have the relationship with him I had with Rory. But I'm sure we'll get a special one for ourselves. I love him so much and I can't imagine our lives without him, anymore."

"Neither can I." Luke put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into it. Closing her eyes she dozed off, as Luke did the same.

Lucan woke them up an hour later. Lorelai decided to ask a nurse for a blanket so she could feed him. Then she realized that in all the hurry they forgot to take him any diapers, or clean clothes. Clothes wasn't a problem, but diapers were. Lucky for her they were in a hospital where a lot of children were, and where there are children, there are diapers too.

Just when she started to feed Lucan, a nurse approached them to notify her that there was someone on the phone.

"I'll go." Luke looked at her.

"Thanks."

Luke walked to the nurses desk and the nurse handed him the phone. "Hello, this is Luke?"

"Hey Luke, it's Rory. How are things going?"

"Your grandmother is still in surgery. We haven't heard anything yet but it can take a while until we do. Your mother is feeding Lucan."

"Well, I just bought myself a plane ticket. I was lucky to get the last seat on the plane. I'm arriving at JFK in about 7 and a half hours, and they were able to put me on an international flight to Hartford about an hour later. So I should be there within 10 hours."

"If you need me to pick you up from the airport let me know okay?"

"That's okay. You stay with mom and grandpa. I bet they need you now. I'll take a cab from the airport and meet you guys there."

"Okay. Sounds like a good plan. I'll let your mother know you're on your way."

"Thanks." She paused… "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Was she really upset about Warren?"

"Warren?"

"My boyfriend. The last time she mentioned a boy was two and a half months ago. We were just going on our first date. Later all our conversations were about Lucan and I thought that she would be afraid that I wouldn't come home if she knew I was dating an English boy."

"Were you doubting about that?"

"No. I really wanted to come home, and if I could I would come faster. I feel kind of bad for being happy to go home because of grandma. But I can't wait to see mom again. I miss her so much."

"She misses you too. She's just disappointed that you didn't trust her enough to tell her what's going on. She really wanted to know."

"I know. I never meant to keep this from her. I should have told her, it's just…"

"I understand. Just remember that your mother is a very understanding woman. You can tell her everything. Don't be afraid to tell her the good things that are going on in your life okay? Otherwise you'll be really afraid to tell her the bad things."

"I promise."

"Good. Make sure you get here safe."

"I will."

"Okay. I love you Rory."

"I love you too Luke."

When Luke walked back to the waiting area Lucan was all fed. His eyes were closed and he was almost back to sleep. Luke kissed Lorelai's cheek and said "See, you can do it, too."

"Not so hard when you feed him. That makes him tired."

"Well, there you got something I can't give him."

She smiled "Yeah. That's true. So how was Rory?"

"She should be arriving in about 10 hours or so, maybe a little less. She's sorry about not mentioning Warren and she will never keep things from you again."

"She said that?"

"Yeah. She was afraid that you were angry. I told her that you were just disappointed. She really misses you, you know."

"I miss her too."

"You'll be able to see her in less than 10 hours."

"That sounds great." She lifted Luke's arms over her shoulders, leaning into his side and drifting of to sleep again, waiting till someone would wake her up and finally give her some news about her mother's condition.


	27. Waiting

_A/N: Thanks LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading so fast, even with everything going on right now! You're the best! __And thanks to all of you who read and reviewed. You're amazing! Well, not much to say, just hope you like this chapter!_

**Chapter 27 Waiting**

Lorelai had no idea how long she had slept when she finally opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was when she woke up and it took her a few seconds to realize. She shifted carefully not to wake Luke as she stood up. She was holding a still sleeping Lucan in her arms. She looked around and noticed her father was asleep as well. She had to find out what time it was and if there was any information about her mother yet She walked towards the nurses station and waited politely for someone to notice her. After a few minutes someone approached her.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"I was wondering if there is any information about my mother yet?" She sounded hopeful.

"I'm sorry. They are still working on her, and as soon as they've taken her to recovery, someone will come and explain her condition to you. I know it's hard, but you have to hang on. At least no news is good news right?"

"That's easy for you to say." Lorelai sighed. "What time is it?"

The nurse looked at her watch. "8.45"

"Okay thanks." She looked at Lucan and wondered why he hadn't woken up yet. He was probably exhausted from being up that long last night. Lorelai wished she could lay him down for a while and take a nice hot shower, but knew that wasn't an option. The shower was out of the question and she was afraid Lucan would wake up as soon as she'd lie him down, so she started to walk around, checking out the area where she probably had to spent a lot more hours. Walking back to the nurses station she asked. "Is there any information about how long the surgery might take?"

"Not that I know of. When they started the surgery there wasn't much information about your mothers injuries. Basically we only knew that she had them and in big lines where, but the doctor didn't knew how severe they were. But I understand that it would be nice if you knew a little more than you know now, so I'll go and see if I can find out anything. I can't promise anything though."

"Thank you. I really appreciate this."

"No problem." The nurse walked away.

Lorelai started pacing around the room again. She hoped the nurse would come back soon. She looked at Luke who was still asleep. Than she looked at her father. He was still asleep as well. She noticed how tired and fragile he looked. The man she was looking at wasn't the father she knew. He was nothing like him. She had to swallow away the lump that was forming in her throat and turned to look away. She couldn't stand to see her father like this. After walking around for another 5 minutes, the nurse came back. "Mrs. Danes?"

Lorelai turned around, her eyes hopeful again. "Yes?"

"The surgery will take at least a few more hours."

"What is a few?"

"3 at least, but it could also be 4 or 5 or 6. It's hard to tell."

"Oh…" Lorelai let herself fall in one of the chairs. "Is there any information about her condition?"

"Officially, I'm not allowed to tell you this but you're mother's injuries are very severe. She ruptured her spleen and left kidney and her colon perforated. The surgeons are doing the best they can. The biggest problem is that your mothers heart is very week. A cardiologist is paged to see if there is any damage to her heart as well that needs to be taken care of. But this is all the information there is right now, and I don't know if there will be any information available until they're done."

"Thank you. This is a lot already. I really appreciate your help."

The nurse looked at Lucan. "I'll see if I can find you a bassinet so you can clear your arms for a while."

"That would be nice. Thank you so much."

The nurse nodded and walked away.

Lorelai felt like crying. News about her mother was supposed to make her feel better, but she had a feeling this was bad news, and that made it even worse. If only time went by faster, then she would get some real news about her mother, and Rory would be home. Finally, after all those months.

She couldn't help but wonder if Rory had changed during her time abroad. She knew she last saw her at her wedding, but that was 4 months ago. So much can change in 4 months. So much had changed already. She got married. She became a mother for the second time. She learned how to be a mother again, struggling with it at first, and now being pretty good at it again. She had fought with her mother, but they made up again and improved their relationship. And now, her mother was in the operating room fighting for her life. She thought that even though it was only 4 months, it seemed like a lot longer. I felt so much longer. The last few hours had felt like days, and those months… somehow they went by so fast, she knew that when she watched the baby and how much he had grown already, but on the other hand….

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on hers. She looked up and saw Luke.

"Hey, you're awake."

"You too." He smiled and kissed her. "So, any news on your mother yet?"

"Not much, she's still in surgery and it will take at least a few more hours. It can be 3 but it also can be 6 so they really don't know."

Luke didn't knew what to say. He hated to see Lorelai like this. She was scared and he wished she never had to be scared, although he knew that wasn't very realistic. No matter what he would say, it wouldn't make her feel better. So he just pulled her to his chest and held her close for a while.

Lorelai pulled back after a minute or so. "Can you hold Lucan for a while?"

He nodded and took the baby from her. "He didn't wake up yet?"

"No. I think he will soon, though. I'm going to use the ladies room. It won't take long."  
"Take your time." He knew she needed to be alone for a while to process everything.

Lorelai went to the ladies room. She looked in the mirror and for the first time noticed how horrible she looked. Her hair was all messy and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes looked red from all the crying. She threw some water in her face which made her feel a lot better already. After that she took a hair brush out of her purse and combed her hair. She put on a little make up, although she knew that this wouldn't be useful with the big risk of crying again. At least she looked good for a little while and that felt great.

When she was done she decided to take a walk. She first walked past the waiting area to see if Lucan was awake already. Making sure he wasn't and that nobody saw her she walked away. She took the elevator to the main floor. Besides a gift shop there was also a little clothing store. Entering she noticed that they had only a small collection. Just for the people laying in the hospital. Pajama's, and also some other clothes.

She looked around and found the children section. As she walked there the desk clerk approached. "Can I help you?"

"I was looking for some clothes for my son. We went here in a hurry last night and all he has are his pj's. I know that he's only a baby and that it doesn't matter to him what he wears, but see, my daughter is coming today. Not that my daughter cares, but she's meeting her baby brother for the first time. My mother was in a car accident last night and they are operating on her and the doctors are not sure if she'll make it.

Normally my daughter wouldn't come back until June, but now her grandmother is sick she decided to take the first flight home. She's in London, my daughter. She wants to become a journalist, and she's really good. I haven't seen her since Christmas break, she left again January first. I told her that it didn't really matter if she would leave again, and that she would see the baby when she came back, but see, I do. I miss her so much, and I am so happy that she's finally coming back. But… well I just wish that it was for other reasons.  
My mother and I haven't been on good terms for years. My daughter was born when I was 16. I ran away from home when I was 17 and took a job as a maid. I only saw my parents on holidays. When my daughter was 15 she wanted to go to Chilton and she got in. Of course, because you see, my daughter is this amazing girl that can do anything she wants."

Lorelai wiped away a few tears. "But I couldn't pay the tuition myself so I went to my parents. And the wanted to give me the money, but wanted Friday night dinners in return. So that's when I started seeing my mother regularly. And now you'd think our relationship would become better after seeing each other more often, but that wasn't true. We still had our fights and our difficulties. We both tried you know, but… I guess it just wasn't for us."

The desk clerk kept listening silently. She looked at the woman in front of her and knew she had a very rough night. It happened more often that people ran into her store and started telling their story. That's why she loved her job so much.

When I told her I was pregnant with my son, she became angry. There was a huge fight and I thought that was it. But it wasn't. I went there the next day to make up, and after that things were better. We had to take it a step at the time, but… When Luke proposed she helped me with the wedding. He arranged for Rory to come home to spent the holidays with me, and we decided to get married immediately. On New Years Eve. Otherwise we had to wait till the summer, and we waited so long. We waited for 8 years before we even went out on our first date. Too much time was wasted already. My mother helped planning my wedding just the way I wanted it to be, and it was perfect."

Lorelai paused and realized that she was rambling. "I bet you don't have the time for this. I better go." She started to walk away.

"Wait." Lorelai turned around. "So Rory, I assume she's your daughter, left right after your wedding, and she never met her brother?"

"No. Lucan was born a month and a half ago. It was the same day I told her I was pregnant, that she told me she was going to London. She didn't want to go because of that, but I told her that she had to go. You see, before I got pregnant at 16 I had a lot of dreams, but everything changed when Rory was born. And I don't care that I had to give up my dreams for my daughter. I love my daughter so much, and I wouldn't want to miss her for the world. I just don't want her to give up her dreams. Even though it was very hard without her. Especially in the beginning. I was cranky and miserable for months. When she left for collage last year that was hard, but at least I got to see her on the weekends. Now I didn't get to see her at all."

"And now she's coming back?"

"Yeah." Lorelai smiled. "I just hate the circumstances. I am so happy to finally see my daughter again, but knowing that I can loose my mother in the process, that's just so hard."

"Maybe you won't." The woman was careful to say that, knowing very well that her mother could die.

"Maybe… I'm just so scared. I can't loose my mother now. So many moments in my life I wished my mother was gone, but death… I don't think I can handle that."  
"I understand. It seems very hard, especially since you only started to get along recently."

"Even after that it wasn't perfect. When Lucan was born she was very angry that we named him after Luke's father and not after mine. It took her a few days to call again and to apologize. It's just that Luke's father passed away when he was young. Both his parents did. And we thought that by giving Lucan his father's name, they would share some kind of connection. You see my husband isn't that talkative. He doesn't talk about his past a lot, and I don't know how it will be in a few years when Lucan starts to ask questions about his grandfather, but now…. I just thought that Lucan would grow up knowing my father so they don't need that connection he needs with William. But what about my mother? My father was in that car crash too. He only has a few bruises, but he could have been seriously hurt as well. Was my decision wrong? Should I have named my son after my father as well?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think I can name a kid of mine after one of my parents. Even though we're getting along better now, it doesn't seem right. I hope that if I ever get another child, I'll get a daughter so I can name her after Luke's mother. But I won't think about that now. I'm just glad that my family will be complete today. Finally."

"And you came here because you wanted your daughter to meet your son while he was dressed in actual clothes?"

"Yeah."

"What did you imagined your son in, if you thought about picking up your daughter from the airport so they could finally meet?"

"Jeans, flannel shirt and baseball cap."

"What?" The woman looked at her curiously.

"That's what Luke always wears. I imagined them wearing matching clothes. I thought that it would be cute. But I guess I'll take anything you have in his size."

"How long do you have before your daughter arrives?"

Lorelai looked at her watch. About 5, 6 hours.

"And your son is a month and a half right?"

"Yeah."

The woman held up a shirt. "So this would be his size."

"Yeah, that would fit him perfectly."  
"Good. Judith will arrive soon. She can take care of the store for a while. I don't have the kind of clothes your asking for, but I'll drive to the mall for you and pick them up. You have enough time before your daughter arrives."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but it seems like you've been trough enough lately. You deserve the meeting you want."

"Thank you so much." Lorelai opened her purse, took out her wallet and handed the woman some money. "I think this should cover it. I really appreciate this, but you really don't have to do it."

"I want to. I assume you're in the surgical waiting room?"

"Yes. I better get back up. Lucan should be awake right now, and he won't stop crying until I feed him."

"Okay. I'll meet you upstairs later. Judith will be here within half an hour."

"Thanks again." Lorelai walked away but before she exited the store she turned around. "I don't even know your name."

"Karen. Karen Mc. Crane."

"My name is Lorelai. Lorelai Danes."

"It was very nice to meet you Lorelai. I'll find you later."

"Thank you. And it was a pleasure to meet you, too." With that Lorelai went back upstairs.

As soon as the elevator doors opened she heard her son crying. She saw the panicked look on Luke's face and felt guilty for walking away instantly. When she came closer he saw her approach. "I know I told you to take your time, but that didn't meant you could stay away for over an hour. He's crying for half an hour, 'cause he's hungry."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, that's very helpful. You're sorry." He handed her the baby. "Here take him, I'm out of here."

"Luke."

"Not now."

She watched him walk away. Than she sat down to feed the baby. That was the only way to calm him down again. It took him a while before he calmed down enough so he could even start drinking.

Luke calmed down half an hour later. When he came back he found Lorelai sitting in the chairs. Lucan was laying in the bassinet the nurse had brought over earlier. Richard was still looking in front of him.

"Hey."

"Hey." Lorelai looked up.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." She stood up and they walked away so they could talk in private. They found 2 chairs from where they could still keep an eye on Lucan and Richard.

"Look I'm sorry." Luke started.

"No, I'm sorry. You had every right to be angry."

"No I had not. This was a rough night for you, I understand that you needed some time alone."  
"That doesn't matter. I still have to be there to feed our son. I left him with you, crying. It's just… I started walking and lost complete track of time. First I cleaned up myself and then I went downstairs where I started talking to the woman from the clothing shop."

"What were you doing there?"

"Promise me you won't laugh."

"Lorelai." He sighed and shot her an angry look.

"I went to find Lucan some clothes. I don't want him to wear those pajama's when he's finally meeting Rory. I know it's crazy to worry about that, but.."

"You found any?"

"Kind of. Karen will bring them by later."

"Karen?"

"The sales lady."

"Oh… I see. And why didn't you bring it with you immediately?"

"Long story." Lorelai laughed. "You'll see."

"Whatever." He stood up to walk away.

"Luke wait. You're still angry at me."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. I can here it in your voice. Talk to me."

"It's nothing. I just hate hospitals, that's all."

"Why don't you go home then? I bet Lane and Caesar could use some help in the diner."

"I'm not leaving. They're fine and they can close up otherwise. I don't care."

"But.."  
"No buts. I'm staying, end of discussion. I'm not angry at you anymore. I understand that you needed the time and Lucan is fine now so. But I would appreciate it if you make sure you're here around the time he gets hungry again."

"I'm not going anywhere." She took his hand. "I'm really really sorry and it won't happen again, I promise."

He leaned in to kiss her. After they pulled apart he took her hand and leaded her back to their son. He was still awake. His arms and legs were moving. Luke leaned in a little and Lucan started to look at his father, a serious expression on his face. Than his expression changed and a smile appeared on his face.

Luke watched his son smile and when the smile faded he turned to look at Lorelai. "Did you see that?"

"Yes I did. I definitely did." She kissed Luke and than moved to kiss the baby on his forehead.

About 3 hours later Karen walked upstairs. She had been to the mall and found what she was looking for. It didn't take her long to find Lorelai. She saw a man in flannel shirt, jeans and backwards baseball cap sitting next to her. She smiled and knew exactly what Lorelai had meant earlier. She smiled at the colors she had picked for the babies clothes, because they were almost similar to the colors the man was wearing. She also saw an elderly man sitting next to them. She assumed that it was Lorelai's father.

"Hey."

Lorelai smiled. "Hey. And you found it?"

"Absolutely."

"Cool." She turned to Luke. "Luke, this is Karen, the woman I told you about earlier. Karen this is Luke, my husband."

"Hey, I heard a lot about you." Karen shook Luke's hand.

"Don't believe everything she says." Luke replied gruffly.

"I won't." Karen smiled. She handed Lorelai the bag. "I hope this is what you were looking for."

Lorelai opened the back and pulled out a small pair of jeans. She laid it on the chair next to her. Than she picked out the flannel shirt and smiled.

"Oh no, you got to be kidding me." Luke rolled his eyes.

Lorelai pulled out the baseball cap. It was almost similar to Luke's. The color was only slightly lighter and of course, it was smaller.

"Lorelai, you can't be serious about this. This is what you want our son to wear?"

"Yes." She smiled but noticed the expression on Luke's face. "Oh come on Luke, first you tell me you want to have that special connection with him, and now I can't even dress him like you? You don't know what you want now, do you?"

Inwardly he was really proud that she wanted to dress Lucan like himself. But on the other hand it was kind of weird. "Do whatever you want." He looked away.

"Karen, this is perfect. This is exactly what I had in mind. And the colors of the shirt, it's like you're a psychic."

"Yeah, I noticed."

Lorelai started undressing the baby and changed him into his new clothes. After she placed the baseball cap on his little hand he looked even more like Luke than he already did before. He was like a copy, only a lot younger and a lot smaller. "It's perfect. God I wish I had a camera."

"I figured." Karen pulled a throw-away camera out of her pocket.

"You're brilliant." She picked up the baby and handed him to Luke.

"Oh come on."

"Laugh to the camera." Lorelai cheered. When Lucan started smiling Luke had to smile as well, and Lorelai could take a few pictures. She already knew that these would be one of her favorite pictures and she couldn't wait to see how they turned out.

"When your daughter arrives later you can take a few pictures of them together as well. If you bring the camera to me later I'll take them to the one hour photo service. That way you can give your mother a picture of both her grandchildren when she comes out of surgery."

Lorelai looked at Karen grateful. "Thank you so much. You're an amazing person you know that. But I wonder, why are you doing all of this for me?"

Karen sat down next to Lorelai. "10 Years ago my only daughter got sick. My husband had died a few years before and she was all I had left. In the hospital there was a nurse and she helped me out all the time. Even when her shift was over she staid to be with me. She listened to my stories or she was there just to sit with me and hold my hand. My daughter died about a week after she was admitted to the hospital, and after that the nurse kept coming by to check on me. My friends had no idea how to act around me, but she came. That's when I promised myself to get a job in the hospital and to do the same for other people. I didn't see myself becoming a nurse, so I opened the store. That's what I was good at, and there are always people like you that just need to talk to someone."

"Wow.. Uhm… I'm so sorry about your daughter and your husband."  
"So am I. But it was a long time ago. I remarried 3 years ago, and I have a 2 year old daughter. It's not the same, but I'm happy."

"Wow.. And what happened to the nurse? Do you still see her?"

"We staid friends for a while, but after a year or so she moved to Seattle. We wrote letters to each other first, but we don't see each other anymore now. Just a regular Christmas card. But it's good to get one every year because we know the other one is doing okay. And I did name my daughter after her. Louise."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Yeah. That's what I thought. And I don't think I would have made it without her back than, not after loosing both my husband and my daughter."

"I can imagine. I don't know what I would do."

"Don't even try to think about that. Just enjoy your family and cherish what you have."

"I do, I definitely do."

"Good. I better go downstairs, Judith is waiting for me and it's after lunch time already."

"Okay. Thanks again. And I'll come by later."

"That would be nice." The women hugged and after that Karen walked away.

"Wow, that's a special woman." Luke looked amazed.

"Yeah. She is. I went in there and I started rambling about my life and she just listened. And when I said that I was looking for clothes for Lucan she asked me what I imagined him to wear when he would finally meet Rory. And than she offered to go to the store for me to pick it up. You really hate it don't you?"

"Well, it's not that bad."

"Oh come on, you find it cute." Lorelai smiled.

"Don't use that word. I am not cute, and neither is my son."

"No, you're my two cool men."

"That sounds better. Hey, I think he's starting to get hungry. Why don't you feed him so we can go to the cafeteria afterwards to have some lunch ourselves? I bet your father could use something as well."

"That sounds like a great plan."

When they came back after having lunch in the cafeteria there was still no news about Emily and it didn't look like that there would be any soon. A nurse promised to check the operating room to see if there was any information available but there wasn't. The surgeons where still operating and Emily's condition was still serious. There was no way they could say how long the surgery would take.

Richard was sleeping in his chair, and Lucan was taking a nap in the bassinet. Luke and Lorelai were reading magazine's that were laying in the waiting area. Or at least, Lorelai was trying to read.

It was a little after three when Rory's cab pulled in front of the hospital. She paid the driver and stepped out, taking her heavy bag with her. She had left most of her stuff in England. She didn't know if she would go back to get it, but otherwise Warren would sent it to her, or bring it by later.

She walked into the hospital trough the main entrance. There was a big information desk. She didn't had to wait long for her turn. "Hello. I'm looking for Emily Gilmore. She was brought in here after a car accident last night. Last thing I've heard she was in surgery. I wonder where I can find her or my family?"  
The man behind the desk looked in his computer. "Mrs. Gilmore is still in surgery. I think you can find your family in the surgical waiting room. If not, there's probably someone who can tell you where they are up there."

"Which floor?"

"Fifth."

"Okay thank you." Rory walked towards the elevator. Patiently she waited for the doors to open. She entered the crowed elevator and saw someone already pressed the button for the fifth floor. It was hot and the elevator had to stop at every floor, letting people in and out. It seemed like minutes later when the elevator stopped on the fifth floor. Rory was happy she could finally stepped out and made a mental note to take the stairs the next time. She looked around and wondered which way to go. Lucky she found signs on the ceiling that told her in which direction she had to walk. After that it wasn't hard to find the waiting area. She stood still for a few seconds when she saw her mother. Than she almost screamed. "Mom"

Lorelai turned around and for the first time in months she saw her daughter. A huge smile appeared on her face as she stood up and started running towards her daughter. Rory did the same and they met each other in a big hug somewhere half way. "God I missed you so much." Lorelai held her daughter tight, afraid that if she let go, her daughter would be gone.

"I missed you too. I can't believe it has been 4 months."

"It was way too long."

"Yes it was."

After a while Lorelai pulled back so she could look at her daughter. "It's like you grow. Did you grow?"  
"Mom. I'm 21 years old. I don't grow anymore."

"Are you sure? You seem taller." She looked down to see if her daughter was wearing heels. "No heels, you must have grown."

"I swear, I haven't."

"Okay." Lorelai lifted her shoulders and pulled Rory back into another hug."

Rory pulled back after a few seconds. "Now let me finally meet my brother."

Luke heard this and picked up the baby. With his son in his arms he walked to Rory. Rory had to laugh when she saw them approaching. "Now I see what my mother is talking about. I kind of noticed it in the pictures but…"

Luke had to laugh and handed the baby to Lorelai so he could hug Rory. She put her arms around his chest and let him hold her for a while. When she pulled back she kissed his cheek. "Thanks for taking such a good care of my mother and my brother."

"Always." He smiled.

Than Rory turned to her mother again who handed her the baby. "This is your big sister Rory. I've told you a lot about her, but here you finally get to meet her."

"Hey baby. I'm Rory. I missed you so much. I know I've never seen you so it sounds weird that I missed you but I did."

Luke pulled Lorelai to him and laid his arm around her shoulders and together they watched the interaction between their kids.

"I'm so sorry it took so long before I could finally meet you. I know I saw many pictures from you and even some small movies but it's nothing like holding you in my arms. I promise you I will never go away for such a long time again."

Lorelai hoped this was true, but knew that was a promise her daughter probably couldn't keep. Then she remember the camera. She went to the chairs and kneeled in front of her father. "Dad, Rory's here."

He nodded but remained in his seat. Lorelai didn't know what to do so she just stood up to get the camera. She walked to her family again and stood next to Luke as she made a few pictures of Rory and Lucan.

Than she heard some walking behind here. It was a doctor, dressed in green scrubs. He was walking to her father. Luke noticed this as well, and placed a hand on Rory's back. Together they walked towards Richard and the surgeon.

"You're the family of Emily Gilmore?" He asked as he pulled the mask off of his face...


	28. Hope

_A/N: Only one more week until hiatus is over! I'm so happy :D (sorry had to get that out first ;) Thanks LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for helping me with the idea for the chapter when I got kind of stuck and of course for proof reading again. And so fast, that's really amazing!_

_Sorry to all of you for the cliffhanger, but I had to put it in. I hope this chapter makes up for it! Last but not least thanks again for all of you that read and reviewed the last chapter, and it's amazing that there are still people taking the time to start reading this story all at once. But enough from the note and on with the story. Tell me again what you think, I really appreciate your feedback!_

_**Previously:**_

_...Then she heard some walking behind her. It was a doctor, dressed in green scrubs. He was walking to her father. Luke noticed this as well, and placed a hand on Rory's back. Together they walked towards Richard and the surgeon. _

"_You're the family of Emily Gilmore?" He asked as he pulled the mask off of his face…_

**Chapter 28 Hope**

For the first time in hours Richard stood up, his eyes filled with hope. The family stood there together, their eyes begging for the doctor to continue.

"My name is Doctor Phillips. I am one of the doctors that was operating on Mrs. Gilmore..."

"Is she alright?" Lorelai begged, not wanting to hear the doctors' standard talk.

"Mrs. Gilmore is out of surgery. We brought her to the ICU. Her condition is still critical and we have to take it one step at the time."

Lorelai let out a loud sigh of relieve even though she wasn't sure if this was good news. At least her mother was still alive, right?

"Let's all sit down so I can explain the type and seriousness of her injuries."

They all complied, happy that they could take the weight of their legs. Somehow they felt a lot heavier than normal.

"Mrs. Gilmore was brought in with very serious injuries. The ultrasound they did in the ER showed that she was bleeding internally. When we started the operation, we found that the blood was coming from the spleen and the left kidney. We also found her colon perforated. First we had to remove the spleen. The damage was too severe to repair. We were able to safe most of her kidney on the other hand. We have to see if it will recover enough to take up it's function again, otherwise we'll have to remove it later. The damage to the colon is repaired as well.

As you already know, her heart had trouble beating in a steady rhythm. We were able to get it back into a normal rhythm, and we're giving her medicine to prevent this from happening again."

"Will she be okay?" Rory almost begged the doctor.

"As I said before, we have to take it one step at the time. Her condition is still critical. She lost a lot of blood and the heart problems caused her brain not to get enough oxygen for a while."

"What does that mean?"

"Mrs. Gilmore is in a coma. We repaired the internal damage but the rest is up to her. She has to wake up on her own."

"How big are her chances?"

"That's impossible to tell. All we can do now is wait and see what happens."

Richard let his head drop in his hands and started crying. Lorelai sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulder, trying to comfort him, but knowing there was only one thing that could, but how big were the changes that would happen? Obviously nobody could tell. She hated this. She hated not being able to control a situation. She felt completely helpless but had to stay strong for her father and her daughter. She looked up and saw that Luke was trying his best to comfort her.

"One of the nurses can take you to the ICU whenever you are ready. You can go in two persons at the time."

Lorelai nodded and whispered "Thank you."

The doctor nodded in response and walked away towards the nurses' station.

After a while Lorelai asked her father "Dad, do you want to go see mom now?"

He nodded, but remained in his seat. She stood up though and supported his arm as she pulled him up. He was heavier than she thought though. Luke noticed this and stood up to help his wife. Together they were able to support Richard into standing and walking. Rory, who had calmed down a little, walked behind them, carrying Lucan.

As the doctor had already said, a nurse helped them find the ICU. She also helped them with their stuff. The car seat, the bassinet. The walk to the ICU wasn't long. It was on the same floor. The nurse walked to the nurses' station there and asked where they could find Emily. After that she walked back to the family and lead them to the right area. The rooms in the ICU were made of glass, and you could hardly call them a room. The nurses could easily keep an eye on the patients this way though. Each room had one bed and a lot of machines. There weren't doors so the patients could be reached without struggling to open it first.

They all stood in front of Emily's 'room.' They could see her lying in the big bed. Lots of tubes and cables were attached to her body. Her face was bruised, and swollen. She had a tube in her mouth that was taped on her face. The color of her face was white. Her hands were on top of the sheets. IV's were attached to both arms. Lorelai had to swallow when she saw her mother like this. She felt Richards's body getting heavier in her arms, knowing the look of his wife scarred him as well. Before, she had no idea what to expect, but this was the last thing she might have been expecting.

"Two of you can go in. The rest has to wait outside. The baby isn't allowed to go inside the room." The nurse explained, not knowing how much they were told already, and knowing most people forgot what was told already anyways.

"Dad, you want to go in?"

He nodded. Lorelai supported her father as they walked in the room together. There were two chairs standing next to the bed. Richard let himself fall in one of them. Lorelai remained standing, walking away a little to give her father all the space he needed.

He took Emily's hand in his and started crying again. Lorelai could see he was trying to fight it, but he wasn't successful. So she sat down next to him and placed her arm around her father again, hoping that would help. It did, but only a little. In a way she was glad that he was finally showing emotion, although she doubted what sight she liked better. The only right answer was that she didn't like either of them.

Outside the room, Lucan started crying. Rory tried to sooth him, but wasn't really successful.

"Hand him to me." Luke took his son in his arms and cuddled him against his chest. Soon the baby relaxed.

"You're pretty good at this."

"You'll learn. He's just a little upset, not knowing what's going on. This isn't part of his normal schedule."

"But still, he almost immediately stopped crying."

Luke felt a little uncomfortable at the compliment. He wasn't really used to get them, especially by anyone else than Lorelai. "Like, I said, you'll learn."

"I guess." Rory wasn't sure. She looked at Luke holding the baby and saw how comfortable he was. She was never able to imagine Luke with a baby. He didn't really like kids. Not small ones at least. But here he was, holding the baby like it was his second nature. She hated that she missed the first part of this baby's life, now that she'd seen him even more than she already did. She knew she missed a lot and that her mother had a family of her own now. She even wondered if she'd still fit into this family. She shook the thought off soon, knowing she was acting childish and jealous, and also knowing that that would never happen.

"You know, we really missed you."

Luke stirred Rory out of her thoughts. She looked up and smiled at him. "I missed you, too. I'm never going away that long anymore."

"Never say never, but I hope you'll stay for a while. It's good to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back, although I wish the circumstances were better…." she paused. Luke looked at the girl, knowing she wanted to say something more. After a while she said. "What if my grandmother dies Luke?"

"I don't know. I really don't know."

"I mean, even though everything she did to mom, I really like her and I don't want to loose her yet. There is so much more I want to ask her, get to know her better. When we planned your wedding, I mean, we really had a great time. And mom even gets along with her now. And Lucan, he really needs to get to know his grandmother, too, right?"

"I know." He placed his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but he couldn't. Not when he was watching Emily laying in the bed. He hated being in hospitals. He hated seeing all those tubes. But he wanted to be here for his family. He kissed Rory's forehead. "We just have to wait and see what happens. All I can tell you, is that your grandmother is a very strong woman. She won't leave give up that easily. And knowing your grandmother she'll fight hard."

Rory wiped away her tears. "I know. Thanks Luke."

"Sure." He kissed her forehead again. After that he walked towards the bassinet to put Lucan down, who was now asleep.

After a while, Lorelai decided to leave her father alone with her mother. He seemed to have calmed down for the moment. She found it weird that she was feeling so calm herself. Even though the sight of her mother scared her to death, she hadn't cried. She stood outside the room, watching her parents trough the glass for a while, and then turned around to look for Luke and Rory. She found them in the waiting area. Rory was asleep on a row of chairs. Luke was watching her. He looked up when he heard her approach. "Hey."

"Hey." She sat down next to him.

"How you holding up?"

"Fine, really."

"Are you sure?" He looked concerned.

"Positive. Hey, when did she fall asleep?" She nodded at Rory.

"A few minutes ago. She was exhausted from the flight and all."

"I bet. And Lucan?"

"A little before that. He started crying and fell asleep in my arms a little while later."

Lorelai leaned her head against Luke's shoulder and tried to relax.

After a few minutes she let out a loud sigh.

"What's wrong?" He kissed her forehead.

"Nothing." She closed her eyes.

"Lorelai, talk to me." He knew she wanted to get it out, but was also afraid to say her thoughts out loud.

"Have you seen her?"

"Through the window, yeah."

"She looks bad. Nothing like my mother. So white, so vulnerable. Not at all the strong woman she is."

"You have to keep thinking positive."

"I know. That's just so hard you know. I mean, all the time I thought that when the surgery would be over, I'd had some more information. Now I still know nothing. I hate this. I hate seeing her like this. I hate seeing my father crying. I just want to go home, get some sleep."

"Then why don't you?"

I can't. They need me here. My father needs me here." Then, her voice almost inaudible "My mother needs me here."

"They won't go anywhere. They'll be here when you come back. You'll feel better."

"Luke, you know I can't leave." She turned so she could look at him. "Those past few hours I've been thinking what it would be like if I lost my mother. The truth is that it's hard to imagine her out of my life. I tried to shut her out many times, but somehow I always needed her. Even if it was just to get Rory through Chilton. I hated those Friday night dinners, because she always found something to comment on, but secretly I enjoyed seeing my parents as well. When they decided to break up, that just hurt. When I was a kid I wanted them to be apart, but later I realized my parents are perfect for each other. For weeks Rory and I tried to get them back together. Rory talked to my father and I talked to my mother. In the end I thought that I convinced her but then she decided to date that Simon Mc. Clane guy. She even called me to help her pick out clothes for the date. Who would have thought that?

We had so many bad moments. The worst time was when I got pregnant with Rory and I did the good thing by running away. But I'd lie if I'd say I never missed her. That I never wanted to call her. We visited only on holidays, but it was nice to see they were doing okay. It was nice to show off Rory. During the years I tried so much to get a normal relationship with my mother, it never really worked though. Even if we got along for a little while, there has always happened something that brought us back to normal, or made it even worse. And even now we're getting along like after the wedding, I'm still expecting things to turn around again. I always expected that, and maybe I even sabotaged our relationship because of that. I thought there would always be a time to make up, to let things be better. We're not perfect now, but I expected that some day maybe we could be.

If she would have died on that operating table, how could I have ever made up? How could things ever get better for us? To tell you the truth I though I already lost her, but now she's still there. That's my mother; she always does what you don't expect. Like she's some evil…"

She let out a sob. Luke took her in his arms and let her cry for a while. When she calmed down enough to talk again she pulled back and continued.

"I'm just so scared. I mean, I can still loose her. I might not have the time to make up for all those years. And honestly I don't know what to do. For the first time in my life I have no idea what to do. My father needs me. Rory needs me, Lucan needs me. But I have the feeling that I can't even take care of myself. How can I tell them everything is going to be fine if I'm not sure about that?"

"Lorelai. I'm here for you. I will always be here for you. And again, you have keep thinking positive. You're making this very hard on yourself. You shouldn't do that. I know that it's hard, but it's the only way for you to continue. Trust me, I know this."

"How?"

"When my father got sick I didn't know what to do. I was so afraid to loose him that I let that get to me. And that's not good."

"But what would you have gotten out of it if you staid positive the entire time? You would only be disappointed in the end because he died anyway."

The look on his face changed and she already regretted saying those words. "Luke I..."

"It's okay. I understand what you were saying. But than at least I wouldn't have lived in fear those months. I could have spent the time with my father, do nice things with him instead of worrying about him all the time. We could have finished that boat together if I hadn't been so stubborn. It was our project. But when he got sick I told him we couldn't do it anymore. I wanted him to stay inside, not working anymore. You see, I was afraid and I lost all those months being afraid. If I would have staid positive at least we would have had those months together, and I wouldn't have lost him months earlier."

"You didn't really loose him right?"

"We spent a lot of time together. We talked a lot about my future. What he wanted me to do. Like taking care of Liz. That's why I took in Jess without a doubt. Because I promised my father I'd do that. You remember Uncle Louie's funeral. Those things. But we could have finished that boat together. We could have done so much more."

Lorelai let his words sink in. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why did you keep everything the same? The hardware sign out of the diner, his office?"

"It was hard to let go. I thought that by keeping those things I would never really loose him. They remind me of him, and I'd liked to keep it like that. It took me a very long time to get over it, and partially I think I still am not. I don't know if it's wrong to hold onto those things, and little by little things changed. A lot has changed since I met you. The first big step into this direction was when I let you paint the diner."

"I'm still sorry about that."

"Don't, okay, don't. Let's leave that behind us. We're here now, with our family and that's all that matters. The past doesn't matter anymore, only the future does. And that's where I want to go now. Building our future, but also learn our son about his legacy. I don't know. It took me a while, but I'm here now. And I'm happy. When my father died I never though I could be happy again. I realized that I hadn't lost my family when I took in Jess. Things changed than, and they weren't always good. But in the end he turned out okay, and I'm proud of that. But the biggest change was meeting you. You changed my life forever Lorelai, and in a good way."

"You changed mine, too."

"I'm glad."

"Luke, what do you want me to do with my mother? She's in a coma. I can't take her out to go shopping or something."

"Tell your mother how you feel."

"What?"

"Go into her room and tell her how you're feeling. Tell her how you see your future. How you want your relationship with her to be. It's not too late to make a difference. Over the past few months, things have changed a lot, but that doesn't mean that it's to late to make the last changes, the once you mentioned before. If you don't do it now, you might regret it later. Don't forget that your mother is still there. She's in that room and I don't know if she can hear you, but they say some people in a coma can."

"But I'm scared Luke. I'm scared."

"Don't let that stop you Lorelai. Don't be me. Don't regret things later."

"I don't want to." Her eyes filled with tears again.

"Then go into that room and talk to here. I guess your father could use a break."

Lorelai nodded and pulled her arms around Luke's neck. He pulled her a little closer. After a few seconds he pulled back and kissed her forehead. "Now go."

Lorelai nodded again and stood up. She watched her father through the glass. He looked exhausted. She entered the room "Dad?"

She had to say it 3 more times before he looked up.

"Dad, you should go home for a while. Pick up some of mom's things. Take some rest. She would be very angry with me if she knew what you looked like right now. Let Luke take you home for a while, please?"

"But, I want to stay with your mother."

"I'll stay with her and I promise you I'll call the second anything changes. Please go, even if it's just for an hour. You have to get out of here dad. Please?"

He nodded. He stood up and kissed Emily's forehead before he walked out of the room. Lorelai followed him. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you take my father home for a while? He needs to pick up some things and he needs some rest."

" Of course. What about Lucan?"

"Leave him here. I'll take him with me."

"He's not allowed in there."

"Honestly, I don't care. He's sleeping and the second he wakes up I'll take him outside. I would have let you taken him with you, but I rather have you staying with my father. And there's also Rory. I just want to let her sleep for a while."

"Okay."

"Did you bring your cell phone?"

"No."

"Here, take mine." She pulled it out of her purse. You know the code, turn it on when you're outside; if there are any changes with my mother I'll call. The house is close so you'll be here within a few minutes."

He kissed her and laid his hand on Richards back. "Let's go." Richard nodded and both men walked away towards the elevators.

Lorelai took the bassinet in the room with her. Not caring what they would say. She never even thought that she would ever think of it, but there was an article in the newspaper a few months ago about a baby being kidnapped from a hospital. She wasn't going to let that happen to her son.

She watched the baby for a while and than walked over to her mother. She was in here before, but that was to comfort her father. This was completely different. She was scared now. She immediately felt her cheeks get wet. She swallowed hard and then walked to her mother. She sat down on the chair her father was seated earlier, and hesitated a little before taking her mothers hand in hers.

"Hey mom." She found it weird to talk to her mother, knowing she couldn't reply, not even knowing if she could hear her. She thought about Luke's earlier words. 'Don't be me. Don't regret things later.' Again she swallowed. "You scared the hell out of dad, mom. You should have seen him. He was crying. I've never seen dad cry before. He was a complete mess." She paused.

"You scared me. When the phone woke me up last night, the first thing I thought was that something had happened to Rory. The second thought was that something happened to either you or dad…." She looked away, wiping the tears from her face. "You can't die mom. You have to fight. I can't loose you. Not yet."

She stood up and walked away. Before she exited the room she walked back and seated herself next to her mother again. "I know that I haven't been the best kid. I was always looking for trouble. I ran away and got knocked up at 16. I know I'm not the daughter you wanted to have. I know I disappointed you many times and I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry that I'm not who you wanted me to be. I know that what we have, all those fights over the years came from both sides. I decided that I could do everything on my own and that I didn't need you. And you were disappointed in me and well… commented everything I did. I think our relationship wasn't good because we both didn't want to admit that we were wrong." She whispered: "But I was wrong. I was wrong to shut you out my life." She looked away again and saw the bassinet with her son. She saw his sleeping face trough the plastic sides. She smiled slightly and looked back to her mother.

"That's why I wanted things to change the past year. I wanted you to be happy for me. Over the years you mentioned the attraction between Luke and me several times, and I hoped that when I finally realized that, you would be happy for me, even though I feared you wouldn't. My fears were right. I wanted to shut you out of my life completely, but I couldn't. You're still my mother, no matter what happened. I… when I found out I was pregnant again, I wanted to share that with you immediately, hoping that would make things better. It did in the end, even though we had a bad fight first. That's what we do. We fight and than we can talk about it like adults, and even share part of our feelings.

I am so glad that you helped me with my wedding. I know you thought that would never happen, but it did and you were there for me and it was perfect. It was just the way I am. The way Luke is. I want you to be a part of my family. I want Lucan to know you. That's why you can't die mom. We got a second change and I don't want things to end now. There are still so many things I need you to know about me. Things I want to know about you…"

She stroked her mother's hair. "It would be okay for you to wake up now. It would be great if you'd open your eyes right now. Luke took dad home so he could take some rest, but Lucan is here. And Rory is here. She came back mom. For you she came back. The kid adores you. Even though she's a lot like me, she also has the parts that you wanted me to have, and I don't have. She does everything for you. She loves you… I love you. I know I don't say that enough but I do. It's just that it's hard to say. The first time I realized that it was hard for me to say that was when Rory couldn't say it to a boy. I wanted to change right then, but it took me a long time before I was able to say those words to someone else. You know, Luke is the first guy I ever said those words to, and even with him it took a very long time before we were both ready to say it. Even though we knew we loved each other for a long time. Probably long before we even started dating."

Lorelai stood up and paced the room again. "You know, I'm afraid. I know that I never told you things when I was a kid, and long after that. And now I found out that Rory is seeing a boy in London for over 2 months. She has not mentioned him once. I thought our relationship was different, but she didn't tell me mom. And that scares me. What if I loose her like you lost me. What did I do wrong mom?" She let out a sob. Than she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked in the eyes of her daughter.

"You didn't do anything wrong mom. I am so sorry that I didn't tell you. I should have told you. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't. What we have is nothing like the relationship you have with grandma. It's not, I promise."

"Why didn't you tell me kid?"

"I was afraid that you were afraid that I wouldn't come back. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't. And I'm sorry that I did. I never intentionally kept things from you."

"But that's how it started with me and my mom Rory. You can tell me everything, you know that."

"I do. But you were going in premature labor and you were so afraid that something would happen to the baby. And when he was born he was all we talked about. I know that isn't an excuse and I promise you it won't happen again."

"It's okay. I understand that you're growing up and that you don't need me anymore."

"But I do need you. I missed you so much. The past few months have been great. I learned a lot there, but I could never enjoy it completely because you weren't there. And…."

"And?" She prompted, taking her daughters hand in hers.

"Never mind."

"Tell me. You can tell me everything. Please."

"I was afraid mom."

Lorelai waited for her daughter to continue, but when she didn't she asked. "Afraid about what?"

"That you wouldn't miss me. You have Luke now. He moved in with you and you got married and you have another child now. I know this is crazy and that I'm acting childish, but I was in London and I missed you so much and…" Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"How can you think that? I missed you so much. I love you so much Rory, and nothing can come between us. Not Luke and not Lucan. That I love them doesn't mean that I love you less. That can never happen. I know that it was you and I for so long, and that it changed now. And I know that it's hard and that we all have to get used to this. I know it took me a long time to adjust to the new situation."

"It did?"

"Honestly it took me a few weeks before I let Luke help me with Lucan. It was hard to let him in and help me even when we lived together for months now. It was always me alone when I raised you and now I have him to help me, and even though it's great to do it together, it's hard as well. I'm not used to it and I have to learn that we're in this together."

"But you missed me?" She had to know for sure.

"Oh sweetie, I can't even count the times I woke up in the night deciding that I would take the first plane to London and get you home. I started counting the days it would take you to get home the day you left."

"You did?"

"Absolutely."

"So did I." Rory smiled. "I was so happy when Luke asked me if I wanted to go home for Christmas, to be there when he proposed."

"I'm glad he did that. Even when I realized that it was even harder for you to leave again, I wouldn't have wanted to miss those days for the world. And not because I wouldn't be married right now if you hadn't come home, but because I could spent those days with you. The months before Christmas sucked. The thought of spending Christmas without you… I was so happy when I opened that door and you were there."

"So was I."

Lorelai smiled. "So, tell me about that boy, what was his name… Warren?"

"Yeah, Warren. I met him at a party. It was hard when I got back to London. Harder than the first time. I didn't go out much. I watched sad movies at night, studied a lot. After a few weeks my roommate forced me into going to a party with her in another dorm room. After she kept bugging me about it, I decided to come along. It wasn't too far away, so I would be home within a few minutes if I would have a bad time, and do whatever I planned to do that evening. I lost my roommate the second we walked in the room. She found her friends and walked away. I searched the room to see if there was anybody I knew, and that's when I saw him, and he saw me. We tried to talk, but the music was to loud so we decided to leave. We walked and talked the whole night. We had a lots of tests the week after so we didn't see each other until the next weekend. That's when we had our first date. And after that we had lots of others."

"What does he look like?"

"He's tall, has short blond hair, brown eyes. He went to the same university but he's a architecture major so we didn't have any classes together. That's why I never met him before."

Lorelai wanted to know more, but was also afraid to ask the question. She doubted before she said. "What will happen now? When will you see him again?"

"He tries to get into a Yale program next year and also applied to a few other colleges in this area. It was his dream for a long time and now he has a good reason to go. I don't know what happens if he won't get in, but he's really smart and with everything he did he has a very big chance to get in."

"I hope he will hon."

"So do I."

Rory looked at her grandmother. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you scared?"

"Why would I be, I mean, we'll see what happens right? You say he has a big chance to get in and we'll see what to do if he won't. All I want to think right now is spent as much time together as possible."

"That's not what I meant."

Lorelai sighed. "I know. Its just… yes I'm scared."

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I don't know babe. I hope so. We're finally getting along, and I'm not ready to let her go. Not yet."

At the same time a nurse walked in. "I thought I said the baby wasn't allowed in here." She looked at Lucan.

"Yeah well, I can't leave him alone in the hallway now can I? My husband took my father home for a while so he can try to get some sleep, and where I go, the baby goes. Besides, he's asleep and I bet he wants to be with his grandmother as well."

"But it's hospitals policy."

"Honestly I don't care. I want to stay with my mother until Luke and my father come back. When he wakes up I'll leave the room, but trust me, when my mother wakes up and finds out you kicked her grandson out of the room… well, you better watch out."

"Ma'am, I understand that you want him here, but it's not allowed."

"I really don't care. He's not going anywhere."

"But…"

"Look at my son and tell me what kind of trouble he's giving my mother. He's asleep, he's not making any noise?"

The nurse sighed. "I'll allow it for now, but as soon as your husband comes back he's out of here."

"Fine."

The nurse checked the monitors and wrote down some numbers at the chart she was carrying.

"How's she doing?" Lorelai looked at the nurse.

"There are no changes, and right now, that's positive. She's isn't getting any worse so far. As you know her condition is very serious, but at least she has a chance

We have to see how she gets trough the night and if there will be any changes by tomorrow."

Lorelai nodded. "Thank you… Can you tell me what time it is?"  
The nurse checked her watch. "7.30"

"Okay, thanks."

Luke and Richard came back around 9.30. Rory was asleep against Lorelai's shoulder. Lorelai was staring in front of her. She looked up when she heard Luke and Richard entering the room. "Hey."

"Hey. How is she doing?"

"Still the same. The doctor came by half an hour ago." She stood up, carefully not to wake Rory. Richard sat down on the chair and Luke and Lorelai left the room, taking the bassinet with them.

"You look tired."

"I am. It feels like I haven't slept in a week."

"Why don't you go home? Sleep for a few hours."

"I can't."

"Please? You have to get some rest."

"I really can't leave my mother, what if there will be any changes?"

"Then please go to your parents house. You wanted your father to go home for a while and he did. Now it's your turn."

"But…"

"Lorelai please, don't fight me on this one. You've been up for a long time. Rory looked very uncomfortable in that chair, just take our kids home for a few hours of sleep. Please. I'll stay here with your father and call you if there are any changes."  
"But…"

"Lorelai."

She sighed, knowing he was right. "But you need to sleep as well."

"I did and I'll be fine. I would just feel a lot better if I knew you would be as well."

"But only for a few hours, and you'll call me if there are any changes."

"I promise."

And after that Lorelai left. She woke up Rory while Luke put Lucan in the car seat. They went to the Gilmore mansion. The place seemed even bigger and quieter without the (grand)parents. Lorelai fed Lucan, as he was already awake. Rory staid up until her mother was done and they all went to bed afterwards. It wasn't long until they were all asleep, hoping that the phone wouldn't wake them during the night, unless of course, it would be good news.


	29. More hope

_A/N: I had no idea where I wanted to take the story when I started writing this chapter, but after a few paragraphs I had a pretty good idea. And then it didn't took many time to write it. Afterward I finished it I sent it to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict who proofread and of course I want to thank her for that! And I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! Now on with the next… _  
**  
Chapter 29 More hope **

A few days later there were still no changes in Emily's condition. The doctor kept telling that it was up to her, although he did mention that the longer it took her to wake up, the smaller the change was that it would actually happen. But, he said, it's been only 4 days so she still has a good change. That's why the family kept hoping, which was basically all they could do at the moment.

They each took turns in watching Emily. They spent as much time with her as possible. Even at night they made sure there was somebody with her. By the time one of them really got tired they went to the Gilmore mansion to take a few hours of rest, a telephone next to the bed side in case there was some news.

Rory had taken her grandfather home for a few hours, and Luke and Lorelai were with Emily. Lucan was, of course, with them. The nurses had become easier with him being there, realizing that there was no other option. He needed to be fed every 4 hours, and Lorelai had to be with him to do that. Luke mentioned switching over to bottles but Lorelai wouldn't even discuss it. "I can do it. I won't fail him here." He tried to argue that it was probably the best in this situation but she said she could manage. She said that he shouldn't have the feeling that it was inconvenient having him and then have someone else taking care of him. She was his mother and she could take care of him, no matter what situation they were in. Luke decided to let it go as long as she seemed to manage.

Lorelai was just done feeding Lucan and Luke was reading a magazine when Karen entered the room. "Hey."  
Lorelai looked up as she closed the last button of her shirt and lifted the baby to her chest. "Hey." She was happy to see her newfound friend. Karen had stopped by several times the past few days to see how they were doing, to be there for them.

"How is she doing?"

"Still no changes. The doctor says she still has a change though."

"How are you holding up?" She took a chair and sat down next to Lorelai.

"I'm managing. It's hard to see her like this though. I wish she wouldn't be so stubborn and just opens her eyes. But she always has to give me a hard time before…"

Karen had heard a lot of stories about Emily and Lorelai's relationship the past few days and knew exactly what she was talking about. "I brought you something."

Lorelai looked at Lucan who wasn't back asleep yet. He was just looking around. "Hand him to me." Luke looked at her.

"Thanks." Luke lifted the baby to his shoulder and happily cuddled him. Lorelai smiled when she saw the look on his face.

Karen picked up the plastic bag she was carrying earlier, opened it and handed Lorelai a map with pictures. "Here."

"Thanks." She opened the map and pulled the pictures out. She smiled at the first picture. Luke and Lucan, dressed similar, both smiling. "This pictures is awesome!" She turned to Luke. "Hon, look!"

He smiled at the picture. "It's not so bad as I thought it would be."

Lorelai knew he loved the picture, even though the tone in his voice might suggest something else. She looked at the rest of the pictures and showed Luke one of Rory and Lucan as well.

"That's a really nice picture."

"I know." Lorelai smiled "This is the best one in there, besides the one of Lucan and Luke."

Karen smiled at the look on Lorelai's face. She was glad she could do something for her. She pulled two flat carton boxes out of the bag and handed them to Lorelai.

She opened the first one and found the picture of both her kids inside, enlarged, in a nice wooden picture frame. "This is beautiful, Karen thank you so much!" She opened the other box and found the picture of father and son in a frame that looked the same as the other picture was in. It was the exact same picture of which Lorelai had said that it was her favorite.

"I think we think alike. There's one more thing in the bag. It's actually for your mother." She pulled it out of the bag and handed it to Lorelai. It was a smaller picture frame than the ones Lorelai had gotten earlier, but it contained the same picture of Rory and Lucan.

"Thank you so much. This means a lot to me." She cradled the frame to her chest. Then she stood up and walked to her mother's bed. "Hey mom, I've got you something. I'll place it here on your nightstand. That way, when you open your eyes you can see it." She carefully placed the picture frame on the nightstand and smiled slightly at her mother, then she turned around and walked out of the room without saying anything.

Luke watched his wife leave, confused. Karen looked at him, the same look on her face. "What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I think it's getting a little too much for her. We just have to leave her alone for a while so she can process. I'll go after her in a few minutes."

"Does it happen more often?"

"Well yeah, for example when she went to see you on the day of the accident. She needs some time to herself, just to think everything out. She has to deal with it herself before she can talk to me, or to Rory for that matter."

"I understand. It's good that you respect that."  
"Honestly, I'm just like her, so we know it from each other."

"I guess you're a lot alike."

"Well, in some ways. In other ways we're completely different."

"In some ways you need to be opposites to make things work I guess."

"Well, maybe."

"How did you meet her?"  
"Lorelai?"

"Yeah."

"I own a diner and Lorelai's addicted to coffee and she can't cook. So when she bought a house there, she came to my diner. The first time she came in begging me for coffee. She never left."

"Did you fall in love with her immediately?"

"Well, I guess I did. I wouldn't admit it to myself though. It took us 8 years to get together."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah it was. But the only thing important is that we're together now."

"I suppose it is."

He checked his watch. "Hey, can you watch Lucan for me so I can go find Lorelai."

"Sure, no problem."

Luke handed her the baby. "He just ate so he should fall back asleep soon. He's still fighting off sleep, but I'm sure he won't be awake much longer. When he's asleep you can lay him down in the bassinet. I don't know how long I'll be, but we'll try to be back as soon as possible."

"Hey, take your time. You've spent the last four days in this hospital. She needs some time to deal with everything. Don't worry about Lucan or me. I'm not going anywhere."

"But you're shift is over, you should be heading home soon."

"Don't worry about that. My husband and my daughter are visiting his parents and won't come back until tomorrow evening, so there's nobody at home for me anyway. I'd rather help you guys out than do nothing at home."

"Thank you. I can't say how much I appreciate everything you're doing for us."

"Don't mention it. I'm glad I can help."

Luke gave the woman a small smile and stood up. He walked out the door and looked around. Lorelai was nowhere to be seen. The hospital was big, so it was a little hard to find her. Luke considered where she might be and came up with two options. One would be the cafeteria to get herself a cup of coffee, or outside to get some fresh air. As she was still breastfeeding, he hoped it was the last. Knowing Lorelai it was the first. He took the stairs to the cafeteria, needing the time to think what to say to her. Thinking about what's bothering her. When he reached the cafeteria he had a pretty good idea. He looked around and wasn't surprised to see Lorelai at a table, holding a big steaming mug of coffee. He walked towards the table and sat down on the other side.

"You better tell me that's decaf."

Lorelai looked up. "Hey, yes it is actually."

"Good. Are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm fine."

He sighed when she was going that way again. "Lorelai, why do you always try that first. It's getting old."

"Well, sorry." She sounded hurt.

"Sorry, I didn't meant it like that. I know you're not fine when you walk out of the room without saying anything."

"I…. I just needed some time to think."

"I know. That's okay. You can get all the time you need. I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand."

Lorelai sipped her coffee in silence. Once the cup was empty she asked "Can we go for a walk?"

"Sure." He stood up as she did the same. He took her hand in his and together they walked out of the cafeteria towards the elevator. "You want to go outside for a while, get some fresh air?"

"That sounds great."

They walked in silence. When they were about to leave the hospital, Lorelai asked "Where's Lucan?"

"Karen's with him. She told us to take as long as we need so we don't have to worry about him."

"Okay." She was silent again.

Outside they both took in the fresh air. They noticed how much the weather changed the days they spent in the hospital. When they came here it was still cold, but now they weren't wearing jackets and it was actually kind of nice, even as it was evening already.

After a few minutes Lorelai started to talk. "It was great to see those pictures. They are really great. The picture of you and Lucan is beautiful. And even though you didn't react very enthusiastic, I know how proud you are to have that picture. And the one with Rory and Lucan, it's the first picture I have of our kids together and it's a really great picture. Both of them will look great in the living room."

When she didn't continued Luke replied. "I'll put them up when we get home."

"That would be great." She thought for a while. "When I saw the last picture and had to give it to my mother, it just got too much. I stood there, telling her that it could be the first thing she sees after she opened her eyes. And then I thought, what if she'll never open her eyes again? Then she can never see that picture. I don't want it to be the picture she gets buried with. I can't handle that Luke. I can't."

"Hey, don't think like that. You have to think positive remember?"

"You've been telling me that for four days Luke. And I tried, I really tried. But it's so hard and I don't think I can do it anymore. It is so hard."

At those words he stood still and turned her around so she could face him.  
"But you have to honey. I know how hard it is, but you have no choice. No matter how much I want you to have a choice, you don't. I can't even imagine how this is for you, and all I can do is be there for you and it hurts that I can't do more for you."  
"But that's enough Luke. That's all you can do."

"Thinking positive is all you can do, no matter how that sounds. You have no choice Lorelai. I know how scared you are. Believe me, I'm scared too."

"How long will it take Luke?"

"How long will what take?"

"Until she wakes up? I can think positive but then someone needs to tell me. A day? A week? A month? I need to know Luke."

He watched her. He didn't know what to say. "What do you want me to see Lorelai? I don't know."

"But I need it Luke. I…."

He took her into his arms. "I know you do." He held her close to his chest as she silently cried. He could see how helpless she felt. She liked being in control of things and now all she could do was watching from the sideline, hoping that everything worked out okay. That isn't her nature and no matter what he would say, he could never make things right. So he did what he was best at and held her, comfort her till she found the strength she needed to go on again.

After a few minutes she had calmed down. He loosened his grip on her, but not letting her go completely. After a while she pulled back. He used his thumb to wipe away her tears. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks. You know, it's just so hard that I can't control this situation. I hate to see her hurt and when I sit next to her bed, I expect her to open her eyes any second. And every second she doesn't I get more disappointed. I want her to wake up so badly, and I know that my mother didn't do many things in her life that I really wanted, but I need her to do it, only if it's this once. It's crazy, but I miss her comments and all the other annoying things she does." She tried to smile.

"That's not crazy. That's not crazy at all."

"No?"

"Absolutely not."

"All my life I wanted a different relationship with my mother. I wanted her to take me shopping or do other mother daughter stuff with me. She never did. I wanted her to be proud of me when I had an A- for my English paper, but she said I could have done better. I wanted so many things and she never really understood what I wanted. I think the wedding was the first time she did things exactly the way I wanted them to be, without arguing with me that it wasn't appropriate. Not even when we wanted to plan the wedding in a few days, she didn't say it was inappropriate to invite guests at the last moment. When we're going back upstairs later and walk into her room, I expect her to tell me that it's inappropriate to leave her son with someone we don't even really know. But she won't. She will still be there, lying there with her eyes closed. The only noise coming from the machines that are keeping her alive."

"Do you want to go back upstairs?"

"In a little while? I like it out here. It's so quiet. The fresh air, not being in that sick making hospital smell. It's not even cold for the time of the year."

"I noticed that. Was it just 4 days ago when we went in here and that we dressed Lucan in his ski suit because it was freezing outside? It's weird that the weather can change so fast."

"Yeah, but it's weird that anything can change so fast."

"But everything can change fast again, in the good way."

"We don't know that Luke." She sighed. "I know, think positive."

"That's what I'm talking about." He smiled.

They stayed outside for a little while longer, until in the end, they started to get a little cold. Hand in hand they walked through the big hospital entrance. There were a lot of people in the main hall. People buying something at the gift shop, drinking a cup of coffee at the coffee stand, walking towards the elevator, or walking out of the hospital.

"You know, it's weird how many people are walking around here. I never realized so many people get sick all at once."

Luke squeezed Lorelai's hand. "Not everybody's here because they're sick. Some of them are employees, others are visitors, just like us. And not all people staying in the hospital are sick either. Like we were there a few weeks ago because of the birth of our son. So happy thing happen in hospitals too."

"How long did you think about that?" Lorelai smiled "You hate hospitals."

"Well, because we have to stay here for a long time I had to think of some positive things in a hospital, otherwise I would go crazy."  
"I did notice that you're not so white as when you first walked in here. I guess this is working for you mister." At the same time they saw a gurney with a guy screaming as his face was covered in a big bandaged, the blood shining trough it. Luke looked away "Ah geez."

Lorelai smiled. "You forgot that there are still sick people here too."

"Well, you're laughing. That was definitely not funny."

"No, not for that guy, but the look on your face definitely was funny." She still laughed when the elevator reached their floor. When they stepped out, they walked into the ICU area. Her smile faded soon when she saw al lot of people in her mother's room. All of them were wearing white coats. She found Karen outside the room with a sleeping Lucan in her arms. "What happened?" The fright was evidence in her voice.

A big smile appeared on Karen's face. "She opened her eyes. The doctors are checking on her right now."

"What?" Lorelai thought she got it wrong.

"She's awake."

Her lip started to quiver and she turned in Luke's arms. This time her tears were from happiness though. After a few seconds she turned. "But how?"

"I was just about to put Lucan in the bassinet when I saw her open her eyes. She wanted to speak, but couldn't because of the tube in her mouth. I told her that she was in a car accident and that she was going to be okay. Than I went to get a doctor."

Lorelai hugged Karen. "Thank you so much!"

"I haven't done anything."

"You have no idea how much you have done. Really, you have no idea." Than she thought of something. "You see, my mother always does the one thing I don't expect. Downstairs I told Luke that I would go back and that she would lay there with no change. But my mother always has to surprise me." She couldn't stop smiling.

Luke watched her and smiled himself. She was so happy. He knew that there would still be a long way to go and that Emily waking up was only a small step into the right direction. But he had just told Lorelai to keep thinking positive so he didn't have the heart to tell her that now. They just had to wait what the doctor had to say. And it was good to see her happy again, really happy.

The doctor came about 20 minutes later. The rest of his team walked in other directions. "Mrs. Danes?"

"Yes?"

"Your mother woke up about 40 minutes ago. As soon as I came in here I started doing some tests. I also paged a neurologist to do some tests as well. I have to say it looks very good. We were able to remove the tube from your mother's throat. She's breathing on her own now. She can't talk because the tube has been in there for a while, but that will be better within a few days. She will have no permanent damage to the brain, although she has a little amnesia. She doesn't remember anything from the accident or a few days before that. We have to see how she's doing on the long term, but everything seems alright for now."

"Will her memory come back?"

"Maybe a little, but not everything."

"And the rest of her injuries, will they be better?"

"She needs a long time to recover, and she has to work hard to become her old self again. But that's what we're going for. After the surgery I told you that we had to see if her kidney will work again. We ordered a test to check on that, which will take place within the next few days. Like I told you before, we have to take one step at a time. But the fact that she's out of the coma now, is a very good progress. That was something she had to do herself, with the other things we can help her."

"How is she now?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying?"

"I mean, how is she feeling?"

"Because she doesn't remember the accident she was scared when she woke up. She's in a hospital room with all kinds of scary machines attached to her. We explained to her what happened, but I don't think she will remember when she wakes up again."

"She's back in the coma?"

"No, absolutely not. She's just sleeping now. She was very exhausted."

"But she was asleep for four whole days."

"She's still seriously hurt. She will sleep a lot the next few days, but we like to see that. We're trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. We want to keep her on this floor for a while so we can have a close watch. After the type of injury she suffered we don't want her to fall back, instead of going forward."

"Is that possible?"

"It's possible, although it's not most likely. You don't have to worry about that, we just want to make sure she gets all right. It's for safety."

"Okay, I guess I like that."

"Because your mother is exhausted it's important that she has not to many visitors. She needs to sleep a lot to recover. Therefore I only allow 2 visitors at a time, with a maximum of 15 minutes. I assume your mother wants to see her grandson. Normally kids aren't allowed in the ICU rooms but I make an exception because he's a baby that sleeps a lot. Although, when he starts crying he has to leave the room."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. If there is anything you are worried about or if you have any question you can always page me. I'm having a night shift so I'm here all night."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." She still doubted if she could ask her question.

"You can ask, I don't know if I can answer, but you can always ask."

Lorelai smiled. "Will my mother be better?"

"I think so." With that his pager went off. He took it out of his pocket and checked the display. "I have to go now. But you can always page me if you need anything."

"Thank you doctor."

He nodded and ran away.

Lorelai hugged Luke. "She's going to be okay."

He could feel her smile. "I know."

She pulled back. "I should call my father."

"You better." Luke kissed her forehead.

Lorelai walked away towards the nurses' desk and asked if she could make a phone call. The nurse handed her the phone. She dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

After a few rings she heard Rory's voice. "Hello?"

"Rory?"

"Mom, what happened? Is everything okay?"

"She's awake."

"What?"

"She's awake."

"She's awake?"

"Yes, don't you hear me? She's awake, she's going to be fine!"

She heard Rory scream away from the phone "She's awake! Grandpa, grandma is awake!" Than she heard her daughter jumping up and down and did the same thing. They both kept repeating "She's awake!"

Karen watched Lorelai from a distance and turned to face Luke. "Is that the real Lorelai?"

He smiled. "Absolutely. That's her. That's the "I'm in control again" Lorelai. She can react very exaggerated but that's what I like about her. She can ramble on and on about the craziest things, and even though I want her to shut up sometimes, I hate it when she gets all silent. That's just not her."

"So I guess that's where the difference in you is huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He stood up. "Excuse me, I think I have to shut her up now, people are starting to give her angry looks."

"You better do that." Karen smiled as she watched him walk towards her.

"Hey hon, you remember that we're in a hospital right?"

"What?" She stood still.

"What?" Rory said in the phone.

"It's Luke."

"Oh."

"I said that you have to stop screaming. We're still in a hospital."

"Oh, sorry."

"Hey Rory, you better get grandpa here so we can explain everything. It's easier than explaining it through the phone. Just tell him she will be alright, okay?"

"I will. See you soon."

"See you soon babe." With that she hung up.

"You're done now?" The nurse asked her.

"Yeah sorry. I didn't meant to…"

"It's okay. Just remember the next time." The nurse smiled. Working in the ICU she saw a lot of critical patients that never made it so she was glad when a patient did. That's why she didn't said anything to Lorelai but waited for Luke to come. She admired that this woman was in the hospital almost the entire time. Most relatives left the patient alone and waited at home for a phone call, only visiting a few minutes like it was an obligation or something. She hated that and could never do that. She was glad to see that there were people that are completely the opposite as well.

10 minutes later Rory and Richard walked in. "Mom?" Rory screamed as she ran towards her mother. Lorelai stood up and pulled her daughter in a hug.

"Hey sweetie. Just try to keep your voice down a little okay, we're still in a hospital."

"Oh right, sorry."

Lorelai let her daughter go and turned to her father. "She's going to be okay dad."

"Thank God." He said.

Lorelai smiled. "She woke up about an hour ago. The doctors did all kinds of tests and said she'll be just fine. It will take a while for her to recover, but she's going to be okay. She has a little memory loss though, so she doesn't remember anything from the accident or the days before. She might get some memory back, but not all according to the doctor. The doctor told her about the accident, but she will probably not remember that anymore when she wakes up again. Oh, and she can't speak because the tube was in her throat for so long but that will be better in a few days. She's asleep now, but you can see her if you want. Only two people can go in at the time, with a maximum of 15 minutes. I think that's all." She had gotten everything out in three breaths.

Richard understood most of what his daughter was saying, although the speed of her voice made it kind of difficult, although he was used to it. "I'll go see her now. You want to come with me?"

"No, you go. I'll go in later."

"Okay thanks." He was glad that he could spend a few minutes alone with his wife. He walked in the room and kissed her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes at the touch. "Hey, you gave me a big scare here."

She blinked her eyes.

"Do you know what happened?"

Emily shook her head. "We were in a car accident. I'm fine and you are going to be fine."

She nodded.

"Are you tired?"

She nodded again.

"Go back to sleep. I'm going to sit right here next to you okay? I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded again and watched how Richard took her hand in his before he sat down.

"Close your eyes Emily." And that's what she did.

Lorelai watched her parents from a distance. She had to blink away a few tears when she saw their interaction. Luke stood behind her and placed his arm around her shoulder. "You okay?"

"More than okay now that she's going to be."

"I'm glad."

"Hey Luke?"  
"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're still going to be like that when we're old?"

He smiled "You better not let your mother know you called her old."

"You know what I meant."

"I hope so."

"Me too."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

And they stood like that for a while, arms around each other. They watched how Emily fell back asleep, and how Richard did the same thing. And nobody commented that he was in there longer than 15 minutes.

_A/N: That's all for now. Don't worry, this is not the last chapter. We still need some Lorelai/Emily interaction and we have to find out how Emily feels about the picture. I don't know when the chapter will be up, but you can read it as soon as I wrote it and, of course, after my beta proofread it. For now, let me know how you feel about this chapter. I like to hear your opinion!_


	30. Back to normal?

_A/N: I can't believe it's already the tenth chapter LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict proof read for me! Thank you so much for doing this to me. I can really see the difference you make! And you're always so fast, you rock hon! _

_And thanks for all those reviews. There were so many for the last chapter, and that, of course, really made me happy. Why wouldn't it really. It's so good to read that you like my chapters and that you want me to update fast. I know that's not always an option but I'm a very busy girl. At least I update once a week, so that's not really that bad no is it? Here's another chapter for you. Hope you like it as much as all the others, and don't forget to let me know!_

**Chapter 30 Back to normal?**

After the doctor left the next day, Richard let Lorelai spend some time alone with her mother. She entered the room quietly, afraid that her mother was asleep and she would wake her up. When she came closer, she noticed her mother's eyes were open. She walked towards the bed slowly, one little step at the time. Even though this was what she wanted all those days, it feared her too. Somehow it was easy to talk to her mother not knowing if she could hear here and knowing she couldn't reply. Now she was afraid of what her mother had heard. She still couldn't talk because her throat was still sore from the breathing tube, but the doctor said that if Emily wanted, she could whisper a few words.

When Lorelai was finally standing next to Emily, Emily smiled to her daughter. She opened her mouth to speak but Lorelai said "Shhh... try not to speak, mom."

Emily nodded as Lorelai took her hand in hers.

"You scared me mom. You really scared me."

Emily looked at her surprised.

Lorelai sighed. Even though her mother couldn't really speak, she knew exactly what her mother was thinking. She shook her head and turned around to get herself a chair. She took her time to sit down so she could think about a proper reply without getting angry, because that was of course, that last thing she wanted to do. Especially after these last few days.

Again Lorelai took a deep breath and said what she wanted to say. "You know, over the years there were many times that I wanted you out of my life. But there were also a lot of moments that I really wanted you in it, even though it felt like you weren't. The past few months everything became a lot better between us, and I think it's about time. I don't want to lose you mom. I want Lucan to grow up knowing you." She paused… "There are so many things I want to tell you, I want to talk to you about. There are so many things I want to do with you, together. There are so many things I want to ask you. You are way to young to die." She smiled at that because it reminded her of the comment she made to Luke last night.

Emily smiled as well. She could see in her daughter's eyes that every word was meant.

Lorelai wanted to say so much more, but she found it hard to find the right words now her mother was awake and watching her. "You know, the past few days were without a doubt the worst days of my life. I felt so guilty."

Emily squeezed Lorelai's hand and shook her head.

"I know I shouldn't feel guilty and that it was an accident. That's what I keep telling myself. That's what Luke keeps telling me, but still, it is so hard. Like I said there were many times I wanted you out of my life. But I never wanted you to die, because if you did, we could never have the kind of relationship I always wanted to have. And things were finally getting better you know. Like when you helped me planning the wedding. I know I never could have done it without you. And when I came to you a couple of weeks ago when I was completely exhausted, you helped me out by listening to me and taking care of Lucan for me so I could get a few decent hours of sleep. And it feels so selfish, but I didn't want to give that up, not yet. I want a lot more of those memories mom. Is that selfish?"

"No." Emily whispered.

Lorelai wiped away the tears that started to form in her eyes.

"Don't cry." But a few tears welled up in Emily's eyes as well.

Lorelai laughed. "Look who's talking." And that made Emily laugh as well. She started coughing while she laughed. Lorelai helped her mother up in the bed a little and handed her the glass of water that stood on the nightstand. After a few sips Emily was doing better.

Lorelai placed the glass back on the nightstand and Emily lay down in the bed again. "I've never seen dad like he was the past few days, you know. It's very obvious how much he loves you. I don't think I ever saw him cry, but he did. He cried. I had to force him into going home to get a few hours of sleep once in a while, otherwise he would have taken a seat next to your bed, and he would have never stood up again."

Emily gave Lorelai a weak smile.

"Hey mom? Do you remember anything I told you when you were in the coma?"

Emily shook her head.

"Well, I told you, that when you opened your eyes, you could see the picture of your grandchildren."

Emily gave her a questioning look.

Lorelai pointed at the picture. Emily turned her head and moved her hand up and touched the glass.

"How?"

"I called Rory the day you were brought in, before they took you to surgery. She insisted on coming home immediately. I told her she shouldn't, but she wanted to. She's in the waiting room now, with Luke and Dad and the baby. They've all been here with you the entire time, taking only small breaks to get some sleep at your house, with the phone next to their beds."

"She's here?"

"Yeah she is. She took the first plane here. There was one seat available so she was able to come very fast. She was here even before you were out of surgery. I'm not sure if she will go back for those last few months. She says won't ever leave for so long again but we have to talk to her about it. We wanted you to get better first before even thinking about it. I really want her to stay you know, but I also want her to go back and finish the program. It's hard. But it's the same thing when she told me she'd come home. I wanted her to come home so badly. I missed her so much you know, and I really wanted her back. But I didn't want to lose you because of that. And I know it's the other way around, but still… She really loves you, you know. She really does."

Emily nodded and whispered "I love you, Lorelai."

"I know. And I love you, too, mom. I know that I hardly ever say that, and after the fight we had last year I promised myself that I'd say it more often but I never do. But I want you to know that I do mom. I really do."

"I know."

Lorelai nodded and had to wipe away a few more tears.

"Now can I see my granddaughter?" Emily coughed again so Lorelai gave her a few more sips of water.

After that Lorelai smiled. "Sure, I'll get her." She stood up and kissed her mother's forehead. Then she walked into the waiting room. Luke stood up immediately when he saw her coming. She stopped next to him and took his hand in hers. "Rory, your grandmother wants to see you."

"Okay. Are you coming with me?"

"No, I'm staying here. You go. She's starting to get tired so make sure you won't stay too long okay?"

"I will." With that Rory walked away.

Lorelai turned a little more to Luke and put her arms around his waist. He responded by putting his arms around her shoulders and he kissed the top of her head.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just want you to hold me for a while." So he did.

Emily smiled when she saw Rory walking in her room. Rory smiled back when she noticed this. "Hey grandma."

"Hey."

"You feeling okay?"

Emily nodded. She was starting to feel tired and her throat hurt from the talking and the coughing, but she wasn't going to give in. She was the strong and independent Emily and she could handle things. "I'm good."

Rory knew her grandmother wasn't good at all. The pained expression on her face said enough, and it was hard to miss the tiredness her eyes showed. But she knew better than to say anything about that. She knew her grandmother needed everyone to think that she was okay, and she let her think that she did, even though she didn't. As far as she could see, Emily didn't realize this.

"You know, I'm glad to be back. Although, you could have just asked me you know. You didn't have to get into an accident to get me to come home."

Emily smiled slightly.

"Mom said I didn't have to come, but I really wanted to. I let Warren drive me to the airport and I took the first plane home. It's really great to be home you know! I finally got to meet my little brother and I finally saw mom again and Luke and grandpa and you. And I'm so happy that you are going to be okay. I was really scared you know. I was.  
Oh, Warren is my boyfriend. I just realized that I mentioned him but you don't know about him. I think you would really like him. He's this really great guy. I don't know what will happen now that I'm here and he's in London, but he might go to Yale or some other school in this area next year so we won't loose each other. We still have to think about it but I'm sure it will all work out. And I'm so glad you're going to be okay."

Emily smiled tiredly as she noticed how much Rory looked like Lorelai. She was surprised that Lorelai didn't ramble when she came in and it didn't surprise her at all that Rory did. She was so happy to finally see her granddaughter again. They had spent a lot of time last Christmas, and after Rory had returned to London, they wrote each other letters once a week. She didn't realize how much she had missed Rory until she finally saw her again. And she hoped that Rory wouldn't leave again any time soon.

"I'm rambling aren't I."

Emily nodded.

"Sorry. I know you must be really tired so it must be very exhausting to listening to me rambling on and on, and now I'm doing it again. I'm just going to sit here and keep my mouth shut so you can get some sleep."

"Thank you." Emily closed her eyes and fell asleep soon, happy at the knowledge her entire family was there with her.

The doctor came in to talk with the family in the afternoon. He told them that Emily was doing a lot better. The kidney test was scheduled for the next morning, and after that they would probably move her out of the ICU to a normal floor. He also told them to go home now. There was no reason for them to stay in the hospital anymore. With all the tests Emily had the next day, they couldn't be able to spend a lot of time with her anyway. Now she was doing better it was time to go home and visit her at regular visiting hours. Again he told them that there was a long way into the recovery and that she needed a lot of help. But, he said, Emily would feel a lot better if she knew that they would go home to their own places and get a good night sleep and come back tomorrow to see how she's doing.

"Dad, can we come to your house?"

"No. The doctor is right. It's time for you to go home. You've done so much for us already. I really want your kids to sleep in their own beds tonight. I know the once at our home are very comfortable, but no bed is as comfortable as your own."

"I know that, but we really want to be with you."

"That's not necessary. I want to stay here a little while longer to say goodbye to your mother. I will take a taxi home and I can take your mothers car to come here tomorrow. Besides, Luke has to check up on the diner and you have to check in at the inn. I'm sure they are all taken care off, but it's time to go home now."

"But.."

"No buts. Your mother and I really appreciate what you did for us the last few days, and we will never forget it. But you would make me really happy if you go home now okay?"

Lorelai nodded. She didn't want to, but if it was what her father wanted.

"Thank you for everything you did for me Lorelai."

"You don't have to thank me for that dad. There was no place in the world I would have rather been than here."

"I appreciate that."

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait so we can take you home?"

"I'm sure. Just go home okay?"

She leaned in to hug her father and whispered "I love you dad."

"I love you too Lorelai."

With that Lorelai stood up. She started collecting all their stuff while Luke picked up Lucan and placed him into his car seat. After they were done they put their coats on and said goodbye to the nurses. They thanked them for everything they had done the last few days even though there were no words to explain how much it meant to them. After that they picked up Lucan, said goodbye to Richard and headed towards the elevator.

The family drove home in silence. It wasn't until they were almost home before Luke spoke. "Do you mind if we drive by the diner? We can pick up some food there. I'm not sure what we have at home but I guess it's not much."

"Sure. I don't mind. I'm sure Rory would love to see Lane. Nobody knows she's back, yet. And I can use some good food, because hospital food is really grows."

Luke smiled as he looked at his wife. then he turned around to look at Rory. "You're okay with it too, or do you want me to take you home first?"

"No, I'd like to see Lane."

"Good. So the diner it is."

Luke parked the car in front of the diner. Rory stepped out of the car first, taking Lucan with her. Lorelai made no effort to stand up, so Luke stayed with her. He nodded to Rory that she could go inside and they would follow soon. Rory nodded back and walked inside, carrying her little brother with her. They could see through the big windows how Rory placed the car seat on the floor and how Lane hugged her friend. Lorelai smiled when she saw that but turned serious again soon.

"What's wrong?" Luke placed a hand on her knee.

Lorelai sighed. "It's weird to be here again. Nothing has changed. Kirk sits there at the counter, Babette and Patty sit there at the table probably talking about Rory or us. Taylor is in his soda shop, annoying his customers."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I guess not. It's just weird. We were gone for five days and nothing's changed. It's not like I expected that, but it's still weird you know."

Luke nodded. "Everything will be back to normal before you know it now. You don't have to worry anymore, you know that right?"

"I do, but I still worry you know. What if she doesn't recover completely? What if the doctor is wrong?"

"Then we deal with it if something like that should occur." He simply replied.

"But I'm not sure if I want to deal with that. I know the last few days I was worried sick about my mother not waking up, and I thought that when she finally would wake up that things would be better, I just didn't realized that there would be new things to worry about."

"There are always things to worry about. We just have to live with that."

"I don't want too."

"Neither do I, but we have no choice."

"No we don't." She shook her head.

"Let's go inside. You must be starving."

"Yeah. You're right. I am."

"Of course I'm right." He kissed her lips and Lorelai made no effort to leave the car after he pulled back. "What's wrong now?"

"I suddenly like it here." Lorelai smiled. "The kids are there, it's just the two of us in here." She blinked her eyes.

Luke smiled and kissed her again. When he pulled back he said. "Let's go inside crazy lady."

It was almost eleven o'clock when Lorelai was giving Lucan his last feeding. Luke was sitting next to her on the couch watching a football game, and Rory was reading a book. A few minutes later Lorelai looked up as she heard the book close.

"Going to bed sweetie?"

"Yeah, it's getting late, and I want to find out if my bed feels the same as I think it does."

"I didn't touched your blankets or your pillows so it should."

"Wow, that's a surprise."

"What? You don't even trust your own mother with your stuff."

"Ha, and I have a good reason too, you know. Years of experience."

"Well thanks honey. You're so kind, good I know better."

"No you don't."

"Well okay, that's true. You should thank Luke though, he told me not to touch anything."

"Well thank you Luke."

Luke looked up when he heard his name. "What?"

"Nothing." Rory smiled. "Goodnight everybody."

"Goodnight hon." Lorelai lifted Lucan's hand so it looked like he was waving "Goodnight." She said in a baby voice.

"Goodnight Rory."

A few minutes later Lucan was done drinking. Lorelai lifted him to her chest and leaned herself against Luke. "You want to go to bed too?"

"Sure let's go." He turned off the TV and took the baby from her, then he gave her a hand to help her up from the couch. They walked upstairs together, into Lucan's room. Luke laid the baby in his bed, carefully not to wake him. Lorelai put her arms around Luke's waist and together they watched their son sleep. "He looks good in his own bed." Lorelai whispered.

"Yeah he does. I hope he sleeps as well as he slept in the hospital though. Otherwise we might have to get him one of those bassinets."

"No way. This one is much prettier."

Luke smiled, glad that she liked this furniture better. "So you rather wake up every night than buying him a new bed?"

"Absolutely. This bed is too special to get rid off."

"Well, I don't believe you though."

"What?"

"If there is a way to get him to sleep trough the night, you would. You hate waking up when you're finally asleep."

"I did at first, but now I actually like those moments with my son." She confessed.

"You do?" He turned his face to look at her.

"He stays this little only for so long, and it's kind of special you know."

"It is. I just didn't know you felt like that, too."

"What, you're saying you like waking up for him in the middle of the night as well, Luke Danes?"

"I'd do anything for him." He whispered so softly Lorelai hardly heard the words.

"I know you do. That's what I love about you."

"So how will it be from now on if he wakes in the middle of the night? Do we fight about who gets to go up with him?"

Lorelai smiled. "Let's see if he wakes up first, and if he does, let's get back to our old schedule. I believe it was my night, so if he wakes up, I'll get him."

"Are you sure it was your night?" He teased.

"Let's go to bed." She smiled.

And that's what they did. They all slept very well that night. The knowledge of Emily being better, the feeling of their own soft beds instead of the hard chairs in the waiting area. Except for Lucan who had the comfortable bassinet all to himself those nights. Now he was lying in his own bed, he woke up again that night. At 2.30 exactly. Both Luke and Lorelai woke up when they heard his crying through the baby monitor. "I guess we do have to get him the bassinet from the hospital after all." Luke smiled.

"I wonder what the difference is though. But I better check up on him."

"Yeah, you should. It's your night after all."

Just when she sat up to get out of the bed, they heard Rory's voice from the baby monitor. "I guess it's someone else's night." She smiled as she heard Rory talk to her little brother and how he calmed down at his sisters voice. Lorelai laid down next to Luke again, her head on his chest, his arm around her. Together they listened how Rory talked and sang and realized how happy they were to be home again. And to have their family complete. They didn't know what would happen in the future. Maybe Rory would go back to London to finish the last few months. Maybe Emily wouldn't fully recover, but at that moment it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together.

_A/N: Again it seems like this could be the end. It could very well be an end and it would be a good one too if you ask me, but it isn't, not yet! So, let me know what you think of this chapter. _


	31. Going back

_A/N: I don't have much to say. Except that I'm happy that you guys are happy that I didn't ended the story. I love your reviews so much! And of course I want to thank LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict again for the proofreading. You're really amazing!_

**Chapter 31 Going back **

A week later Emily was doing a lot better. The kidney had retrieved its function and the other wounds were healing as well. Emily was still very weak, but physical therapy was helping her to get stronger. She still didn't remember anything from the accident, but a little of her memory from before came back. She had trouble remembering things though, but the neurologist said that it would be better within a few weeks. And that's what they were all hoping for.

In Stars Hallow everything was getting back to normal. Luke was opening the diner so he could take Lorelai to the hospital after dinner. Lane and Caesar closed up for him. Rory had received some assignments from her college program in London so she could finish it. They were very understanding but tried to convince her into coming back. So far Rory didn't want to hear about it and worked on the assignments they gave her. Lorelai was still on maternity leave, but started thinking about going back to work more and more. She missed it. Of course Rory was home, but she was busy with her assignments and Lucan was asleep most of the time so she was getting bored. She was in the diner a lot and visited the Inn more than once the past week.

It was Sunday night. Rory was already in bed, Lucan had his last feeding and Luke and Lorelai were in the bathroom, preparing themselves to go to bed.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" He looked at her in the mirror.

"I think I'm going to the Inn tomorrow."

"To visit Sookie?"

"No, I want to go back to work. I know that I still have two more weeks off, but I can't stay home any longer. I'm by myself most of the time and I get bored. Lucan is sleeping, you are working, Rory is busy all the time and I'm not doing anything. I'm driving myself crazy here."

"Don't you think it's too soon? Why can't you wait two more weeks?"

"Because I can't. I don't want to be by myself all the time anymore. I just need to do something you know."

"But why? I thought you like spending time at home with the baby and with Rory."

"I already told you, Lucan is asleep most of the time and Rory is busy with her assignments."

"Isn't it nice to be on your own for a while?" He wanted to understand that she needed to work, but he didn't get it. He didn't want her to rush back into work. He still hadn't forgotten how she rushed herself out of work, being forced into maternity leave early. They had agreed with Sookie that Lorelai wouldn't go back to work until Lucan was two and a half months.

"It was at first, but not anymore. I'm not good at this Luke, and you know it. Why do I get the feeling that you don't want me to go back to work yet?"

"Because you have two more weeks of maternity leave."

"So?"

"I just prefer if you stay home two more weeks, it can't be that bad."

"Well it is." She turned around and walked away angrily.

When Luke walked into their bedroom later, Lorelai was laying on her side turned away from him, pretending to be asleep.

"Lorelai." He sighed.

She didn't responded so he sat down on the bed and kissed her cheek. She turned around and shot him an angry look. "What?"

"Can't we talk about this like adults?" He remained quiet, even at the angry tone in her voice.

She sat up. "I don't see the use to that. You have your own opinion about this and you don't even try to see how this is for me."

"Then explain it to me."

"I tried Luke. You're not listening. I'm driving crazy in here. I need something to do. I already turned the entire house upside down. Moved all our furniture, got new curtains in every room in the house just to keep myself busy. And it's like you didn't even notice that or something."

"Of course I did. I like the curtains, but I like the curtains we had before, too."

"So did I."

"Than why did you change them?"

"I told you, because I'm bored Luke. Besides, all I can keep thinking about is my mother. I just can't do it anymore. I need to get back to work. Please try to understand."

"I'm trying Lorelai, I really am."

She shook her head. "No you're not. Forget it. I'll do whatever you want me to do for two weeks and go to work after that. Whatever you want Luke." She laid down and turned around again.

"No. It doesn't work like that either."

"What?" She turned again. "What is it that you want? I don't get it. I gave in. I won't go back to work. I'll be bored for another two weeks and go back to work after that. You got what you wanted."

"It's not what you want."

"That doesn't matter, now does it?"

"Yes it does. Of course it does. I just didn't realize you were unhappy. I thought you like spending time here, with Rory and Lucan."

"I do. I love spending time with them. It's just that I'd like to do something else again as well. I never was just a mom. I always worked. I'm just not the kind of woman that can stay at home the whole day. That's not me Luke. And I thought you knew that."

"I do know that. I just didn't really think of it I guess. But you're right. I guess it's time you go back to work. But can you please take it easy at the beginning?"

"How?"

"Well, just go to work a few days. Like part-time instead of fulltime"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Work 3 days. Like Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two weeks, and then when the maternity leave is officially over, you go back fulltime."

"I guess I can do that."

"Good. Now, what will we do with Lucan?"

"We decided to take him a few days each right?"

"Right." He smiled. "So, you want me to take him tomorrow then? You've been taking care of him for all those weeks now, I think it's fair that I take him first."

"I'd like that."

"What do you want to do with his feeding? Because you are still breastfeeding. You want to come over to the diner every 4 hours to feed him?"

"I guess we can go to the pharmacy and buy one of those pumps? That way you can give him a bottle, but we're still breastfeeding. I'm not ready to give it up yet. If it starts to be inconvenient, we can buy formula."

"Okay. Sounds like a good plan." He smiled. "We're okay now?"

"Yeah we are. Sorry, I kind of freaked out."

"Don't be. I just wish you talked to me about it earlier."

She gave him a kiss in response. "Thanks for listening to me though."

"Always." He kissed her again. "Let's get some sleep huh. We're going to have a busy day tomorrow."

"Yeah we do." She smiled as they snuggled down in the bed together. Lorelai placed her head on his chest, and he put his arm safe around her. She lifted her head once more to kiss him. "Goodnight, hon."

"Goodnight, Lorelai."

Lorelai woke up early the next morning. When she opened her eyes she saw that Luke was already gone. She looked up to see the time. 6.15. She didn't even sigh at being awake that early. She smiled. She was happy about going back to work. She had missed the Inn. Of course she was there regularly the past few weeks, but it was different. She stepped out of bed and walked towards her closet. The pregnancy weight was gone so she fit in her old clothes again. It had been so long since Lorelai had worn her work clothes. She had so many clothes in her closet that she wasn't able to wear for such a long time, that it was even harder to pick something than it normally was. After 10 minutes she just pulled something out and walked into the shower, but not before checking if Lucan was still asleep which he was. She showered, dressed and put on make-up. After she was done Lucan was awake as well. She gave him a bath and fed him. After that she packed his bag, left Rory a note and went towards Luke's.

Luke smiled as he saw his wife and son approaching. He was at the door before she was, to open it for her. He kissed her "Hey. You're early."

"Yeah. I was awake and I couldn't sleep anymore." She didn't tell him that she didn't even try to sleep a little longer. "Besides, Lucan would have woken up soon anyway. Now I was ready before he was instead of the other way around. It's more convenient anyway. I left Rory a note to let her know where I am today and that Lucan is with you. The pharmacy wasn't open yet, so I have to get there a little later."

"Good. So, what can I get you?" They walked towards the counter.

"Coffee and chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Sure." He poured her a cup of decaf and went into the kitchen to make her pancakes. He could see she was exited and was already used to the fact that she was going back to work. At first he wasn't happy about it, but now he saw the smile on her face, that changed instantly. He knew that she was acting a little different, but he thought that was about the whole situation with Emily. He never even thought that it would be anything else.

He came back with the pancakes a few minutes later and saw her holding the baby in her arms. He smiled as he placed the plate in front of her. Then he walked around the counter to take the baby from her. "Thanks." She picked up her fork and started eating, keeping her eyes on Luke and Lucan. She loved watching them together. For the first time she felt weird about going back to work, knowing that she had to leave Lucan with him. Maybe it would have been easier if she had taken him the first day, although she could hear Michel's complaining in her head already.

"What're you thinking?" He noticed, of course.

"That I have to leave him with you." She smiled weakly and he smiled back.

"We're going to be okay, you know that right?"

"Of course I do. I was just thinking that I'm going to miss him. I know I complained about spending those weeks alone with him, but now that I'm about to leave, I don't know."

He understood what she meant. He felt the same when he had to go to work after staying home with her and their newborn son for a few days. He had called her at least 5 times that day, wondering how they were doing and what they were doing. "You'll get used to it. And at least we don't have to leave him with some stranger like other people do."

"You're right. I just didn't think I would feel that way you know."

"I know. You can always decide to stay home two more weeks you know. You don't have to go to work yet, Sookie doesn't even know you're coming."

She thought about it and replied. "No, I have to do this. I'm driving myself crazy at home, and I would still feel the same two weeks from now. I better get it over with now."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Positive."

He watched her as she ate the rest of her pancakes and sipped her coffee. "You guys going to be okay today?"

"We're going to be fine."

"Good. I'm going to the pharmacy now and I'll stop by in a few hours to bring you the bottle okay?"

"Okay." He walked towards her to kiss her and lifted the baby a little so she could kiss his cheek.

"Mommy loves you baby. I'm back before you know it."

Luke kissed her again. "Go, we're going to be just fine."

Lorelai nodded and walked away. The pharmacy was open by the time she got there. She bought a milk pump and a few bottles and walked towards the inn. There, she walked straight into the kitchen. A surprised Sookie looked up. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Working."

"I thought you had two more weeks or so?" Sookie looked confused.

"I know. I'm just driving myself crazy so I decided to come back early. Luke wasn't too happy about it first, but he's okay with it now. As long as I work only three days the first two weeks till my maternity leave is officially over."

"Oh. So you're back! I'm glad your back. But you don't have to be back. You can stay home if you want to. But you're driving yourself crazy so that's not good. We'll I'm glad to have you back! But where's the baby? You didn't leave him home alone did you?"

"Of course not. He's with Luke. You know we agreed on taking care of him together, just like I did with Rory back then, only now he's taking Lucan a few days as well. He thought it would be best if he takes him the first day."

"Oh, that's good. Not that I don't want him here of course. I love having him here. Michel will go crazy having him here, but that's good. I love when he gets crazy." She looked at the expression on her friends face. She wasn't sure if it was a happy one. "Hey hon, are you okay?"

Lorelai sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, I'm going to miss him you know."

"I do. The first time I left the kids with Jackson, that wasn't good. You just spend a few weeks alone with your kid and then you have to leave them with someone else. But at least you know that he's taking good care of Lucan right?"

"Yeah. How long does it take to get used to it?"

"A few days I guess."

Lorelai nodded. "Is Michel in yet? I need him to get me up to date with things."

"He's probably in your office."

"Good. I'll go see him then."

Lorelai turned around to walk away. Just before she reached the door, Sookie called. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah?" She turned around.

"I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back." Both women smiled and went to do their work.

Lorelai picked up Lucan at Luke's around 4. She had been there that day only a few minutes to drop off the milk. She wasn't sure if this was a good solution and knew she wouldn't be doing it for so long. Buying formula would be a lot easier. It was just that the baby was still so small and she thought the breast milk would be better for him, although in the back of her mind she knew that the formula would be just as good.

She had missed the baby all day. She knew the times he would wake up and listened to hear his crying. Of course, she couldn't. She found it hard to be at work again, and even felt guilty for leaving him. But it was also good to be at work again. It was a good day and she was able to get a lot of work done. Michel was happy to have her back so he was a little less busy. She promised him a vacation for doing such a great job all those months, and surprisingly he did it without complaining. She knew that secretly he loved that he was in charge, next to Sookie of course, and he was even a little disappointed that Lorelai was back.

When Lorelai entered the house, Rory was in the living room, with her laptop on her lap. She looked up from her screen when she heard someone walking in. "Hey mom. How was your day?"

"Good." She took of her coat and put the stroller on the side. She took the blanket off because he was wearing a coat, and it was to warm for both of it inside the house. After that she sat down next to her daughter. "What have you been doing all day?"

"I'm writing an essay about the architecture in London. I was working on it before I left London. Warren was helping me, but now I have to use the Internet to get my information."

"How is it coming?"

"Well, okay I guess. I'm not too happy about it though. I need more information. I'm thinking about going to New Haven tomorrow and see if we have some information in the library there."

"It must be weird to go back there."

"Well, yeah, kind off. It's been a long time since I've been there, but really I can't wait to go back. I missed my friends there and all. I actually had contact to my study counselor today and he thinks I can finish the program from Yale. Nobody did it before, and he says it will be hard because I'll miss the classes, but it's doable."

"Rory, I know we haven't really talked about it, but I think you should go back to finish the program there." Inside it hurt Lorelai to send her daughter away once more, but she knew it would only be for a month and a half so she would survive. "It's only a month and a half, and it would be a lot easier than doing it from here."

"I don't want to mom. I can't go back there. Grandma is still in the hospital. And I want to help out with Lucan. I can do it from here."

"I know you can. But you said so yourself, it won't be so easy without the classes. I know you're a brilliant student and I know you can do it, but what about Warren? Don't you miss him?"

"Of course I miss him mom. But…"

"It's only a few more weeks, and after that you're back here. Warren should find out about his programs some day soon, so maybe he can come here next year. And otherwise you can invite him here for the summer, so you at least can spend that together. I'm not telling you that you have to go, but it would be the right thing to do. You don't have to stay here for grandma. She will be in the hospital for a few more weeks, but she's going to be fine. It'll disappoint her if she finds out you're staying here because of her. She wouldn't want that and you know it. And about Lucan, we had this talk many times before. I know it's even harder now that you've seen him and have spent time with him. You know, I really wanted to go back to work, but on the inside it killed me to leave him with Luke today. I missed him like crazy you know."

"Then why don't you stay home for another two weeks? You have two more weeks left."

"Because it was the right thing to go back. I was driving myself crazy in here. You know how I get when I've got nothing to do. Have you looked at this place? It's clean, I moved every piece of furniture, and if I had stayed home one more day, I probably would have painted your room or something."

"Don't do that. I like it the way it is."

"I know. If I hadn't gone back to work today, I would have gone in two weeks, and I would have felt the same way. If you don't go to London, you're going back to Yale. You don't have a dorm this year so you have to drive from here to New Haven every day, what'll cost you a lot of time. When the next school year starts, you'll feel the same about leaving. You know you won't be home every weekend to see Lucan then. You would feel the same way as you feel about leaving now."

"You think?"

"I know. Again, I'm not forcing you to do anything, but I want you to think about it. And I mean, really think about it. Make a pro-con list and come up with the right thing to do. I trust you to make the right decision."

Rory nodded. "I guess I'm going to do that."

"I'm going upstairs to change okay? Luke's coming home with dinner around 5.30 and we're going to the hospital to visit grandma after that.

"Okay. I'll stay here with Lucan to make my list."

"Luke gave him a bottle around 3 and he was still awake when I picked him up around 4. He fell asleep when we were walking here so he won't be awake any time soon.

Rory still wasn't sure what to do when Luke came with dinner. There were as many pro's as there were con's so the list wasn't really any help. They ate and drove to the hospital after that. Emily was very talkative today. She could see the progress she made in her therapy, even though it wasn't a lot of progress at the time. She was going forward, although she knew she could fall back too. She changed a lot since the accident. She learned to live by the day and enjoy what she's got. She loves to have her family around her every day and even more than that, they weren't complaining about it. And she realized that was all she needed. She didn't need all the money in her bank account or her rich friends who did not even bother to show up yet. It was her family who she really needed, and only needed.

Lorelai her told about going back to work and was surprised to get an approving look from Emily. She was expecting disapproval for going back to work at all, and especially about going back to work early. When they were about to leave, Rory asked for a moment with her grandmother alone. Luke and Lorelai walked outside with Richard, saying goodbye to Emily.

"Grandma?"

"Yes?"

Rory looked at her grandmother and didn't know how to begin. "Just say it Rory."

"I was talking to my mother today and she said I should to go back to London to finish the program. But I can stay here to finish the program as well. It will be harder because I would miss all the classes, but I can do all the assignments from here, and go to Yale for the information I need. They have most of the books I need to do them."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Mom told me to make a pro and con list, but there weren't big results there. I was just wondering about your opinion."

"I don't want you to stay here for me. I know how important this program is and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you came home for me, but I can't ask you to stay here just for me."

"It wouldn't be just for you. There's Lucan and Mom and Luke and Grandpa."

"And you have a boyfriend in London right? What was his name?"

"Warren."

"Right, Warren."

"It's only a few more weeks isn't it?"

"Yes. Six or seven."

"Then I think you should go. I don't want you to stay here because of me. You're not a girl that quits. You worked so hard to get into that program, and I can't tell you how proud I am. I want you to go back there and finish the program, for me."

Rory nodded. "If you think I should go, than that's what I'm going to do."

And that's what Rory did. She had to wait three days before she could get a ticket. She said goodbye to her friends and family one more time and Lorelai took her to the airport. It wasn't so hard anymore, because they both knew that it only took a little more than six weeks for her to come home for good, or at least for a long time. This time they didn't cry at the airport but they smiled. The women hugged each other and Lorelai kissed her daughters forehead. "You have no idea how proud I am of you Rory. I'm glad you decided to go."

"I'm glad myself too. It was hard to get myself to go, but now I'm here, I'm happy about the idea of going back."

"Good. And remember, you're back before you know it."

"I know. I'm still going to miss you though."

"I'm going to miss you too babe."

Rory smiled and hugged her mother again. At the same time they announced the boarding of her flight. "That's my flight, I've got to go."

"Okay. I love you hon."

"I love you too mom." Lorelai pulled her daughter close one final time before they let go and she watched her daughter walk away. She was going back, and she was glad.

This week she had experienced that going back was good, even with the changes. The second time she went to work she had taken Lucan with her. Michel wasn't to happy when the little boy cried for a solid 15 minutes and Lorelai couldn't stop him from crying. Michel had gotten so tired in the end that he had picked up the baby himself and somehow he had stopped. He looked at Michel with his big blue eyes and smiled. That was the moment that his heart was stolen. Nobody believed it when she told the story. Lorelai smiled at the thought and kept watching her daughter until she couldn't see her again. Then she turned around to go back home.


	32. Sleep tight

_A/N: Thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed and of course thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading and the nice feedback you give me. I hope you're having a really good time in the States, and like I said, I can't wait to hear about it! _

**Chapter 32 Sleep tight **

It was Sunday night when Lucan woke Lorelai up. It was her night to get out so she turned the baby monitor off quickly, hoping not to wake up Luke. He had early deliveries the next morning and he had been pretty tired earlier. She stepped out of bed and walked into their son's room. The little boy smiled at his mother when she picked him up from his bed. "Huh." She mocked at the baby in her arms. "You're definitely not my son aren't you? Waking me up in the middle of the night and laugh about it?" She smiled and ignored the tiredness she was feeling. They sat down in the rocking chair together.

"You know, it's a long time ago that your sister was this small. I can't believe how fast she grew up. You have to promise me not to grow up so fast." The baby smiled again.

"I take that as a yes." She smiled back. "You will grow very big too though. You're going to be as big as your daddy aren't you? You look so much like him, and that's definitely a good thing."

"I doubt that." A gruff voice came from the door opening.

"Why are you awake?"

"Crying baby?" He looked at her like she stated the obvious.

"Well yeah, but it's my night. Why are you awake? I tried to be fast so you wouldn't wake up."

"Well I did anyway."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I don't mind to be up."

"But you have early deliveries tomorrow. Why don't you go back to bed? I'll have a little chitchat with our son here. He finds it very amusing." She smiled at her husband when he walked in the room and leaned down next to them.

"What kind of crazy things are you telling him? Don't believe anything your mother says, son." The baby smiled at his father.

"I never tell crazy things my friend. You should know that by now."

"Yeah right. But he's smiling here, why don't you put him in bed? If he's happy he can go back to bed."

"Nah...if I put him back now he'll start crying and will be all upset. I prefer him like this."

"True. But he's fooling with us though. He wakes us up and than enjoys it."

"That's what I told him. He's laughing at us for falling for it every night. Maybe we should let him cry next time so he can learn to sleep during the night."

"I don't know, he's so little. We can't just let him cry."

"Before when he woke up, he was upset and we had to try everything to calm him down, but now he wakes up because he know we'll pick him up anyway. He's trying us out."

"He can't do that, he's only a baby."

"Yeah well, he's not crazy. He knows exactly what were doing. If I put him in bed right now he'll look at us, seeing how we'll react and he won't start crying until we walk away."

"I don't believe that."

Lorelai stood up and placed the baby in his bassinet. She tucked him in and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight baby." She gestured Luke to do the same, so he did. They saw the baby looking at them, waiting to see what would come next. Lorelai took Luke's hand in hers and pulled him out of the room. She closed the door and at that same moment the baby started crying. "See?"

"Okay you were right. Now what do you want to do?"

"I guess just let him cry? He has to learn to sleep through the night."

"But…" Luke wanted to do anything for his son, even waking up in the middle of the night every day. But he realized Lorelai was right. It was time he learned to sleep during the night. He was playing a game with them, as tiny as he was.

Lorelai pulled Luke towards their bedroom and turned the baby monitor back on. The laid down and bed and listened to the crying. "Now what?" Luke looked at his wife.

"I guess just listen to him cry until he falls asleep? There's not much else we can do."

They waited for 5 minutes and the crying didn't subside. Luke started to feel sorry for the baby. "Lorelai?"

"What?"

"I can go. He's really really upset right now. He will never go to sleep like this."

"I know this is hard, but if we don't go through with this now, he'll never learn it."

"But we can start tomorrow right?"

"Like you won't feel exactly the same way then like you feel now."

"But…"

"You know I'm right. Trust me. He's a little confused right now because we just put him in bed and we're not picking him up while he's crying. We already let this go on to long."

"I don't agree with you. I can't do this Lorelai. I can't listen to this. He's really upset."

"Then I'll just turn of the baby monitor so you can't hear it." Inside she felt the same way Luke felt. She wanted to keep Lucan with her as long as possible, and she wanted to enjoy every moment, but she also knew that they both had to get to work the next morning, Luke even earlier than she and the nightly interruption was getting to her. Of course it helped that they were taking turns, but she also knew from experience that babies are very good in controlling their parents. She was only a little away from getting up and pick up the baby to comfort him, and Luke begging her to let him go wasn't making it any easier.

"Lorelai."

"It will only be a few nights Luke. And he's not crying for so long. Just leave him for a little while, he'll stop soon enough."

After another 5 minutes Luke couldn't take it any longer and stepped out of bed. Lorelai knew that if he hadn't done it, she would have done it herself. She wondered how it was possible that a 2-month-old baby could control them and got them to do things they didn't wanted. She knew they would try again the next night, and also knew it was going to be really hard.

Luke walked into the nursery and picked up the baby. His little face was red and he made fists out of his little hands. His crying stopped almost immediately though when Luke picked him up. That's when Luke realized Lorelai was right. Lucan knew exactly that they would give in and pick him up. He noticed the baby was tired, and had probably fallen asleep by himself if they had let him cry a little while longer. "We'll try this again tomorrow." He said as he cuddled the baby to his chest.

Luke took Lucan to the diner the next day, so Lorelai walked into the Dragonfly by herself. She walked straight into the kitchen. Sookie looked up and smiled as she saw her friend enter. Lorelai stood by the counter, put her elbows on it, rested her head in them and sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"Since when do our kids get to control us instead of the other way around?"

"Oh I don't know. I guess that's the way it always has been."

"Not with me it wasn't. As long as I can remember my mother tried to control my life, not the other way around."

"I assume we're talking about Lucan?"

"Yeah." Lorelai sighed again. "You know that he wakes up in the middle of the night every day right?"

"Yes."

"Well, lately he isn't upset anymore when we pick him up, he just smiles at us, and listen to us talking to him. He's playing this game with us. Last night I talked to Luke about it and we kind of agreed to learn him to sleep through the night by letting him cry. He wouldn't believe that the cute little baby is controlling us, so I said that if I would lay the baby in his bed he wouldn't start crying until we walk away. He still didn't believe me so we tried it out, and as suspected Lucan started crying the second I closed the door. We decided to go to bed and let him cry, but after ten minutes Luke gave up and went to comfort him."

"So you're upset that he gave up and went to get the baby?"

"Nah, I would have done the same thing if he hadn't done it. But how can I teach my son to sleep through the night, if we can't let him cry?"

"If you really want him to learn it, you have to let him cry or he'll never learn. Otherwise you have to give up for a month or so and try again later."

"Ugh… why is this so hard. Rory woke up too the first few weeks but she stopped by herself and decided that sleep was a good thing to do at night. She hated me waking her up ever since, no matter how small she was."

"Every kid is different, you know that right?"

"Yeah I do, and it's interesting too. I just…. I guess we could just wait until he decides the same thing Rory did."

"You could, but than you didn't resolve your problem. You still have to get up every night."

"It's not that bad you know. I really like it. He's growing up fast enough. That's why this is so hard I guess, I want to teach him things, but I also want him to stay that small forever."

Sookie smiled. "I know. With your first you're really proud when they learn stuff and you want them to learn everything, but then with the second kid you just want them to stay small forever."

"Yeah exactly. But why do I get the feeling Luke doesn't want him to learn those things?"

"Because he's a father. That's different. They are very proud when their kid learns something new, but they want to protect them from the big angry world and they don't care if that comes into the learning process."

"Yeah, you're right. You should have seen Luke's face when Lucan first smiled. He was so proud."

"Same with Jackson. And wait till you get a baby girl, that's even worse then when you have a son."

Lorelai smiled. "We're not there yet. We haven't talked about getting more kids. I know that we're both getting older and that if we really want another one, we shouldn't wait to long, but it's too soon. Lucan's only 2 months, 2 and a half almost."

"You've got time. Plus you already have 2 kids. How is Rory by the way?"

"She's doing great. She's glad she went back, because now she realized how much harder it was to do her assignments from here. We miss each other of course, but I'm glad she decided to go back too. But uh, it's getting late so I better get some work done.

Lorelai went to the diner for lunch. Luke was holding a crying Lucan in one arm, while he was carrying plates with his other. Lorelai smiled when she saw this but took Lucan from him so he could really serve his customers. She cradled the baby to her chest. "Luke, what happened?"

Luke turned his head to look at her when he put the plates on the table in front of him. "He woke up half an hour after I fed him and he was like this ever since."

"How long has it been?"

"An hour or so? He's really upset but I don't know why. I changed him, I tried if he was still hungry, but nothing."

"Maybe just a little stomach ache. She put her feet on the stool next to hers and laid the baby on her legs. Then she started rubbing his stomach. He stopped crying soon.

Luke walked towards her, kissed her lips and asked "How did you do that?"

"Like I said, his belly hurts. The rubbing eases the pain and makes him feel more comfortable."

"Oh…" He felt stupid for not thinking of something so simple.

"Don't worry. I've spent 2 months at home with him, plus I raised Rory, you just didn't know. That's okay. Now you know that happens sometimes and what you can do to help him. He should go back to sleep soon now."

Luke nodded. "Thanks."

"Well, you can make me a cheeseburger with fries to show me how grateful you are."

"Sure, coming up."

"Wow, no complaining?"

"Nope. I decided to give up. Maybe we can teach the baby some things, but I realized you're to old to learn stuff."

"Hey thanks." She hit him in the chest.

"Ouch. This way you can forget all about lunch".

"No, please, I'm sorry." She pouted.

"Yeah right." But he walked into the kitchen to make her lunch anyway.

When he came back and set the plate in front of her, Lucan was asleep in her lap. "Let me take him upstairs so you can eat?"

"Yeah, thanks."

She was already finished with her burger when Luke walked into the diner again.

"Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"What do we do about his nightly adventures?"

"I don't know. Do you really think we can get him to sleep during the night?"

"Yeah. I do. I think this will be harder for us than it will be for him."

"I'm sorry I went to get him last night. I just couldn't take it. He was really upset."

"I know, I would have done the same thing if you hadn't done it."

"He was pretty tired though when I walked into his room. I had the feeling that he would have fallen asleep soon if I hadn't gone in there."

"I think we should give it a try, and if, after a few days he still wakes up, we'll try again later. But I really think this can work."

"Okay, then that's what we're going to do."

That night Lucan woke up again at 2.30, waking up both Luke and Lorelai. They turned to look at each other. "Let's do this." Lorelai sighed. Luke nodded and kissed Lorelai's forehead. Together they listened how the baby cried. After a few minutes the crying stopped, only to continue half a minute later.

"I thought he went back to sleep." Luke said.

"He's trying to listen if we're coming."

After a few minutes the crying stopped again. "Maybe he's asleep now?"

"I'm not sure. He could be."

"Let's take a look?"

"Okay." They stepped out of the bed and walked towards Lucan's bedroom, carefully not to make any noise. They listened at the door but heard nothing.

"Let's go in." Lorelai whispered and she opened the door slowly. She took two steps in the room and saw that Lucan was still awake. He started smiling the second he saw his mother. She walked back and closed the door, but of course it was already too late. He cried and now they felt bad because it was their fault he was crying. They walked back in the room and picked him up. "I guess we'll try again tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Lorelai had the Tuesday off. She decided to visit her mother in the afternoon so Luke could close for the night. Her condition was still approving, although there was no word on when she would be released from the hospital yet. Before Lorelai went upstairs, she walked into the clothing shop. She hadn't seen Karen much after Emily was doing better, and especially since they were visiting mostly after dinner, when the shop was already closed.

Lorelai placed the carrier with Lucan on the counter and waited for her friend to show up. Karen was in the room in the back, probably doing some paperwork or drinking some coffee. Lorelai didn't have to wait long, though and Karen seemed very happy to see her. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing great thanks. How are you?"

"Good. I haven't seen you around much lately."

"No, I know, that's why I came to see you. I went back to work last week although I have today off. Luke went with me to the hospital most of the nights, having his employees closing the diner. I told him I'd go now, so he can close for a change so the others can leave a little early."

"Well, I'm glad you stepped by. How is your mother doing?"

"She's doing better every day."

"No words on when she can go home yet?"

"No, unfortunately not. She really wants to leave the hospital, but the doctors say it's too soon. Maybe sometime next week."

"I hope so."

"Yeah, me too."

"How's the baby?" She looked at Lucan who was wide-awake.

"He's good. We're trying to get him to sleep through the night. It's kind of weird actually, when we were here he hadn't woken up once, but the first night we were home he woke up again."

"And how is it going so far?"

"Oh very good. The first night Luke went to comfort him after ten minutes, and yesterday we went into his room to see if he was asleep when he stopped crying, only to find out that he wasn't. Of course we couldn't just walk away anymore without him crying so we had to get him out."

"So, not so good huh?"

"Not really. Maybe it will go better tonight."

"Yeah. My husband and I had the same problem when we wanted to get Kayla to sleep through the night. It took us a week before we stopped giving in and another week before we woke up realizing she wasn't crying."

"Well thanks, I feel a lot better now."

Karen just smiled. "And how is Rory?"

"She went back to London last week. She is enjoying her last few weeks there."

"I thought last time we spoke she decided to stay here? I thought they gave her assignments to do from here?"

"Yes they did, but it was a lot more difficult to do them from here so we decided it was better for her to go back, besides it's only 6 more weeks. 5 Now."

"And you're okay with it?"

"I had to convince her, and I miss her like crazy of course. But I went back to work and that really helps."

"How is it to be back?"

"Great! I was getting so bored at home, I really wanted to go back. I had to fight Luke about it because officially I had two more weeks and he thought I should take them. He didn't realize how I was feeling so we talked about it and agreed that I would go back part-time for the first two weeks, and fully after that. It works for the both of us."

"Good, I'm glad."

"I'm taking Lucan with me one day, and Luke has him for two days. You should have seen Michel with him. Michel's our concierge. He's from France and he's really sarcastic, but he's really good at what he does. Sookie and I worked with him at the Independence Inn and we took him with us when we opened our own Inn."

"Isn't that the Inn that burned down a few years ago?"

"Yeah. We tried to stay open at first, but we had to close almost all our rooms and it wasn't working at all. We had no other option but to close the place. It did give us the perfect opportunity to open our own Inn. You should come and stay with us some time. For free of course, because you've done so much for me the last few weeks."

"I'd really like to come. We can let Tom's parents take Kayla, but we will pay. You don't owe me anything. I'm glad I was able to help you."

"I know I don't, but I really want to. I insist even. But we'll talk about it later. You have my phone number so call me whenever you feel like coming."

"I will. You better go up to see your mother now."

"Yeah I will. It was nice to catch up again."

"Absolutely. Come again soon, otherwise I'll call."

"Okay, sounds great!"

The women hugged and after that Lorelai picked up the carrier and walked towards the elevators.

"Okay buddy. You have to try to stay asleep tonight. I know you can do it." Luke talked to his son as he lay him in bed that night. The baby listened to his father's words, although he probably didn't understand what he told him. He just liked the sound of his father's voice.

He put the baby in his bed and covered him up. "Goodnight kiddo." He kissed the baby's forehead and walked away. He listened at the door and the baby kept silent. It was never a problem during the day, or in the evening. He wondered why it was at night.

2.30 a.m. and crying came from the baby monitor. "Ugh…" Lorelai put her head in her pillow. Luke put his head on her shoulder and together they listened to the baby monitor. Again Lucan tried to listen what his parents where doing and after 15 minutes he realized that they weren't coming and kept quiet.

"Shall we watch again?" Luke lifted his head.

"No way mister. I'm not falling for that again."

The listened another 5 minutes and the baby kept quiet. "Is it weird that I feel guilty now?"

Lorelai looked at Luke. "No. I feel the same."

"It's weird you know because this is what we wanted, but it feels wrong. What if he'll hold this against us for the rest of his life?"

"He won't. He'll have enough other things to do that later."

"Geez thanks."

"We'll better go to sleep to. It's no use for us to be awake if he isn't."

The next day it took only 10 minutes for Lucan to fall asleep again, and after four more days he didn't wake up at all, during the night. Both Luke and Lorelai did though, both expecting the baby to wake up any minute. They waited the whole night and listened carefully. At 4.45, Luke's usual time to get up they looked at each other. "I guess he won't wake up anymore."

"No. I wonder why we are. It was better when we got up for him. Before we were up for half an hour or so, now we were up half the night and mister himself is nice asleep."

"But we did get what we wanted."

"Let's see what happens tonight. He better not wake up again, because I'm freaking tired."

"Why don't I take him to work today, so you can sleep for a few extra hours before you have to get to work?"

"No. I think I'll take a shower with you, take my time to get dressed and watch some TV until he wakes up, give him a bath and feed him. Then I'll come to the diner for some breakfast and take my time to go to work. We'll feed him early tonight so we can go to bed early."

"Who says you can take a shower with me?" Was his only response.

"Well, you can't deny me anything." She winked at him, stepped out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. Luke smiled as he got up and followed her.

_A/N: Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! I don't know when I'll post the new chapter. As you probably got from my first note, LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict a.k.a. my beta is going on vacation. She won't be back until the beginning of June which means I have to wait posting my new chapters until she's back. But I promise I'll keep writing so I can update a fewchapters faster than usual!_


	33. Too busy

_A/N: I'm finally back! It's been a busy few weeks not only for LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict who had a great time in the states, but for me as well. Only a few more weeks till summer break and it feels like we have to do as much as we did the past few months in those weeks. Of course that's not the complete truth but it's really busy! But I wrote this chapter and another one that will be updated within a few days. It needs a little editing before I post it.  
So, I want to thank anyone who read and reviewed my last chapter. Of course I want to thank LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofread and I'm looking forward to the pictures! And last, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter, and of course, let me know what you think!_

**Chapter 33 Too busy**

It was the last week of May and the inn was completely booked. The weather was great and there were several calls a day from people who wanted to book a room last minute. Most of the time Lorelai had to say no. Some of those people booked a room for a different weekend or midweek, others tried to find accommodation in the area. Therefore, the diner was busy too. No matter what time you walked in, there was always a crowd. Luke, Lane and Caesar had to work hard to serve the customers and not to make them wait long.

Even though they were both pleased with the good business, there were a lot of disadvantages too. Luke and Lorelai didn't have much time to spend together. They both worked long hours. There were many days when Luke didn't get home before ten. And even if he did, they fell asleep on the couch together after dinner, only to wake up around 10.30 to give Lucan his last feeding and to go to bed. The next day the alarm would go off again early and the same routine would start all over again.

On the days Lorelai had some energy left she would go to Hartford to visit her mother. Emily was finally able to go home. A physical therapist was coming by the house every day for her rehab and Richard had hired a nurse to help him take care of Emily. She complained at first but soon realized she couldn't do it all by herself, and she didn't want to be a burden to Richard. He was aware of his wife's independence, which was part of the reason he hired the nurse. She would know when to help and how to teach Emily to do things herself.

Lorelai wished she could do more for her mother, but she hardly had the time to take care of her son. She hated herself for thinking how lucky she was that Lucan was so easy and so little. He was asleep most of the time and at the times he was awake, he's playing in his playpen. He was never crying in order to get some attention. She had no idea how she could have handled things if Lucan wasn't so easy. She knew she probably couldn't. And she got lucky twice, first with Rory and now with Lucan. She wondered where her kids got it though, because from what she's heard she was nothing like that as a baby, more the complete opposite.

Michel was still in France with his mother, but he was supposed to come home by the end of the week. Lorelai hoped that things would be better to handle when he could take over some of her work, and that she might be able to spend some time with Luke again. Because even though they were living together, she really missed him.

It was Tuesday evening and Lorelai walked into the diner around 5.45. The place was crowded as expected. There was no free table and every seat at the counter was taken. She sighed deeply as she looked around in search of Luke. He was nowhere to be seen. Lane walked into the area a few seconds later. "Hi."

Lane kept walking as she replied. "Hey."

"Where's Luke?"

"Helping Caesar in the kitchen."

"You need any help?"

"I could use some, but you better check upstairs. I heard some crying coming from the baby monitor and Luke has his hands full."

"Okay thanks." Lorelai walked pass the curtain and soon heard her son crying. She tried to open the door to the apartment but to her surprise it was locked. "Shit." She walked downstairs and into the kitchen. "Luke?"

He turned around. "What are you doing here? You know you're not allowed here."

"I need the key to the apartment. Lucan is crying and the door's locked."

"He's crying?"

"Don't you hear that?" She pointed towards the baby monitor.

"Oh." He wiped his forehead. "I didn't…. I'm sorry. It's just that it's so busy and…"

"I know. It's okay. Just give me the keys."

"Sure." He pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Lorelai. "Tell me when you leave okay?"

"I will." With that she turned around and walked upstairs again. The baby was crying even harder, clearly upset that nobody came to get him yet. She struggled to open the lock, which wasn't going so well as she wanted to do it fast. "I'm coming honey. Mommy's coming." She finally got the door open. She was near Lucan's crib within 3 big steps. His face was dark red. When she picked him up she felt that his clothes were completely soaked wet. She wanted to change him but knew she had to calm him down first so cuddled him to her chest. It took her almost 15 minutes to calm him down a little. She put him on the changing table and removed his clothes. His diaper looked like it wasn't changed in hours.

She picked up the baby and walked in the bathroom to wet a washcloth. Then she walked back to the changing table to clean up the baby. After she was done she pulled a bottle from the fridge and put a pan with water on the stove to heat it up. The baby started crying again, obviously hungry. "How long is it since you ate huh?" She was angry with Luke. How could he do this? Normally the baby wasn't hungry around this time. He ate around 4.30 and wouldn't be hungry again until around 8 o clock. It took about 5 minutes for the bottle to heat up and she cursed herself for giving up breast-feeding earlier. The milk expressing just wasn't working, especially not when she was so busy. The formula was just a lot easier. She already felt guilty about that, and now she even had to feel guilty for leaving the baby with his father because he couldn't take care of him. Lorelai sat down on the couch as she fed the baby. He finished his bottle within a few minutes, way sooner than he normally did. And he looked like he wanted even more.

Lorelai decided to go home without saying goodbye to Luke because she was too angry. She didn't want to see him right now. The baby had fallen asleep in his stroller on the way home so she left him in the living room. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was nothing eatable in there so she called Joe and ordered a pizza. While waiting she flipped through some channels, but there was nothing that caught her attention.

Luke came home around 9 o clock. He smiled when he saw Lorelai lying asleep on the couch. His smile faded when he noticed how exhausted she looked, even while asleep. He knew how hard both of them had been lately and he hated it. He sat down in front of her on the couch and kissed her cheek. "Lorelai" He whispered, even though he wanted her to wake up.

When she didn't responded he tried it again, a little louder. "Lorelai, wake up."

She murmured sleepily but didn't open her eyes. "Hey, what time is it."

"9. Why don't you go to bed? You're exhausted. I'll take care of Lucan."

She shot up at that. "Yeah right."

Luke, completely oblivious to what happened in the diner earlier, was confused by her reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Like you don't know that Luke. Why don't you go to bed so I'm sure he gets something to eat."

"What?" He was even more confused now. "What happened? Lorelai?"

"I already said, like you don't know."

"Well, I don't. I have no idea why you're acting like this. Did something happen to Lucan? Is he okay?"

"He's fine now, but not thanks to you. Is it so hard to take care of our son Luke, to feed him when he's hungry?"

"I do, I feed him."

"Well obviously you do not." She stood up and walked away, upstairs and slammed the bedroom door shut.

Luke watched her climb the stairs and had no idea what he did wrong. He knew talking to Lorelai now wouldn't do any good. He first had to figure out what he did wrong before he could defend himself. He thought back to the events earlier that day.

_ Flashback _

"Hey Lane, I'm going upstairs to check up on Lucan okay?"

"Sure boss."

_Luke climbed the stairs and opened the door to his apartment softly. He walked into the room and saw his son still asleep in his crib. He must have been exhausted. He's starting to play more lately so that's tiring him out. Luke touched the cheek of his son with his index finger and smiled at him before tip- toeing out of the room as to not wake the baby. He closed the door to the apartment and locked it. He didn't want anyone to be able to get to the baby and take him away without his knowledge. Living in this crazy town he knew that could happen, and he wanted to try to keep the baby out of their hands. _

_He walked downstairs. "Hey Luke, you're back already?"_

"_Yeah, Lucan was still asleep. I'll check up again on him later."_

"_Sure." She handed him a paper with an order written on it. _

"_Thanks." He walked into the kitchen to help Caesar with the food. He was focused on his work and was only disturbed by Lane giving him the orders. He checked up on Lucan a while later but he was still asleep. Completely focused on his work he didn't hear anything around him. _

_He didn't look up until he heard his name behind him. "Luke?" He turned around and saw Lorelai standing there. _

"_I need the key to the apartment. Lucan is crying and the door's locked."_

"_He's crying?" 'I hadn't heard anything.' _

"_Don't you hear that?" She pointed towards the baby monitor._

"_Oh." He wiped his forehead. "I didn't…. I'm sorry. It's just that it's so busy and…" 'How could I have missed that?' _

"_I know. It's okay. Just give me the keys."_

"_Sure." He pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Lorelai. "Tell me when you leave okay?"_

"_I will." Luke turned around to turn off the baby monitor. He wouldn't need it anymore now._

_Half an hour later he saw Lorelai walking out of the diner, without saying goodbye. 'Did I do something wrong? I though she would say goodbye. Maybe she just wants to get home early…'_

"_Hey Luke? 2 Cheeseburgers with chili fries, a Caesar salad and a turkey sandwich."_

_He looked up and forgot about Lorelai. "Coming right up."_

_ End flashback _

"Shit." He cursed out loud. 'She must be angry about the baby crying while I was in the kitchen. What time was that anyway?' He honestly had no idea. He decided to go upstairs to find out what was bothering her.

Lorelai was lying on the bed, the baby monitor in her hands. She looked up when Luke walked into the room, but said nothing.

"What time was it when you walked into the diner earlier?"

She still didn't replied.

"Look, I don't know what I did wrong. I had no idea what time it was, the place was crowded, and the baby was sleeping upstairs. Then you walk into the kitchen and tell me that he's crying and the next thing I see is that you're walking out without saying goodbye. But I honestly don't know what I did wrong. I don't." He sounded lost.

"Then you're a bigger idiot than I thought, Luke. It was 5.45 when I walked in there. An hour and fifteen minutes after our son usually wakes up hungry. And it wasn't like he was just crying when I walked up there. His face was dark red and his clothes were completely soaked wet. You were supposed to take care of him Luke, but you forgot about him. A few weeks ago you promised me that I don't have to do this all alone, that you're here to help me. But how can you do that if you forget him? I take him the rest of the week so I know he actually gets some food." She was so angry.

"I did not forget about him Lorelai." Luke tried to stay calm but had trouble doing so.

"How dare you say that? It was obvious he was crying. Lane told me the second I walked into the diner and you didn't even hear him Luke. And the kid was starved. So don't tell me you didn't forget about him because it was obvious you did. And there's no excuse for that. I'm busy too but I never forget to feed my son. Not once Luke." She looked away while she said that, then stood up and tried to walk away again.

He grabbed her arm and turned her around. "Don't walk away from me, we're not done here. I checked on him twice after 5.30 and he was still asleep, so don't tell me I forgot about him. I did not do such a thing."

"Let go of me Luke." She tried to pull away.

"No, I won't. You're not walking away from me. I want to talk about this."

"Well, I don't."

He shook his head and let go of her arm. "Then go. I can't talk to you when you're like this anyway. I just…" His voice was soft and almost inaudible.

She didn't notice this, as she was so angry and walked out of the room. Luke let himself fall down on the bed. He knew he had to leave her alone for a while. Talking to her was no option now she was so mad. He turned on the TV and started flipping channels.

Lorelai walked downstairs and tried hard to calm herself down. She was so mad that it wasn't really working. She felt like screaming or throwing with something. Part of her knew that it wasn't all Luke's fault but that made her even angrier. She knew it, but she was too stubborn to give in and go upstairs to talk to him. And she knew that now she was so angry, it wouldn't work anyway.

She stayed downstairs until it was almost time to feed the baby. She went into the kitchen to make his bottle. After it was warm enough she went upstairs to Lucan's room. She was surprised to see Luke there. He was holding the baby in his arms, talking to him. She smiled but then remembered she was mad at him. "It's time to feed him. You can hand him to me now."

"Give me the bottle, I'll do it. I know how tired you are, you should get some sleep."

"No, I want to be sure he actually gets his food, so I'll do it."

"Lorelai." He sighed.

"Luke." She replied angry.

"Fine." He kissed the baby's forehead and handed him to Lorelai. He wasn't going to fight her in front of their son. He shot her an angry look before he walked out the room and into their bedroom.

When Lucan finished his bottle, Lorelai didn't know what to do next. When she closed the door of his room behind her she glanced at their bedroom. The door was closed. This wasn't a usual sight and she thought immediately that Luke didn't want her there, so she walked downstairs instead. She put the bottle in the dishwasher and walked into Rory's room.

After turning around in Rory's bed for half an hour Lorelai gave up. She went to the living room and picked up the phone. She dialed a number and waited for the other person to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rory."

"Mom, hi. Why are you calling me this late, is everything okay?"

"No, not really. I had a mayor fight with Luke."

"About what?"

"Lucan. You know that we've both been really busy right? And that we hardly see each other lately? Well, today I walked into the diner a quarter to six and the place was crowded like it always is lately and I asked Lane if she could use some help she said yes but that I better go upstairs to check on Lucan because he was crying. So I go upstairs and find the door locked, I go down in the kitchen to get the key from Luke and go back upstairs where I find him lying in his bed really upset and completely soaking wet and…."

"Mom slow down."

Lorelai sighed. "He forgot about him Rory. He forgot to feed his own son and to change his diaper. He usually wakes up hungry around 4.30 but it was 5.45 already."

"What did Luke say when you confronted him?"

"First he had no idea what I was talking about so I walked away from him. Later he came to find me and he tried to talk to me but I wouldn't really listen to him."

"Oh mom. Maybe he has a perfectly good explanation for all this."

"There's not such a thing Rory, you just don't forget about your son…." She paused before she added. "You just don't."

"Mom, this is not all about Luke is it?"

Lorelai shook her head. "I forgot about him yesterday. At least, I almost forgot about him. Sookie asked me if it weren't time to feed him, otherwise I would have forgotten him. I would have. You just don't do that, right? No matter how busy you are, you can't forget about your kids. I never forgot about you, not once."

Rory smiled. "Yes you did."

"What?"

"Remember this time when I was 6 and I went to play with Lane? Mrs. Kim brought me home around 8 because you forgot to pick me up. We found you asleep on the bed. The inn was so busy and you were working so hard. Mia told you to take a break but you said it wasn't necessary. And then you've had just fallen asleep and forgot about me."

"I forgot about that. You were so sad when Mrs. Kim brought you home. You thought I didn't want you anymore."

"I remember. And then you told me that no matter how busy you were, I would always come first. You felt so guilty. It never happened again afterwards. And mom, I'm sure you wouldn't have forgotten about Lucan. Plus, he would have let you know if he was hungry."

"I guess you're right. Thanks hon."

"Your welcome. And mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be angry at Luke. He's a really great father to Lucan and there really will be a reason behind this. And if you wouldn't have walked into the diner, I'm sure Lane would have told Luke about Lucan crying so he would have gone to him."

"Maybe you're right."

"I am, I am right. Go talk to him, mom."

"I can't. Not yet. He must be really angry with me for walking away from him twice. He closed the bedroom door, he never does that."

"Wouldn't it better if you come to him instead of waiting for him to come to you again?"

"Maybe, but I better let him cool off. Plus he's probably asleep right now and he needs his sleep. He really is working so hard right now."

"Okay. But promise me you'll talk to him tomorrow."

"I will."

"Good. Now get some sleep yourself. It's really late."

"I will. Thanks, sweetie."

"Goodnight mom. I love you."

"Love you too." With that they both hung up. Lorelai walked back into Rory's room and tried to get some sleep. After waking up for the fifth time she gave up and went into the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

Luke woke up for the 10th time that night around 3 o clock. He couldn't sleep well without Lorelai next to him. He knew they were fighting but he had no idea why she decided to sleep somewhere else. He wondered how this fight had gotten so bad. He went downstairs and found Lorelai sitting at the kitchen table, her hands around a coffee mug. "Hey."

She looked up. "Hey".

He filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. He looked at Lorelai from a distance and knew that she hadn't slept at all. He waited for the water to boil and made himself a cup of tea. Then he took a seat across from Lorelai's. He thought of something to say without getting her mad again. He knew they were both even more exhausted then they already were with the lack of sleep and he couldn't handle fighting with her again.

"I'm sorry."

She looked up again and shook her head. "You should be."

"I didn't hear him Lorelai, I know I should have, but I didn't. Am I a bad father because of that? Because…"

"I overreacted. You're the best father anyone can wish for Luke. We're both busy and we don't have time to take care of our son. If you're a bad father then I'm a bad mother, too."

"You're not Lorelai. You're a great mom."

She nodded. "We have to do something about this. It's bad when we start forgetting about our kid."

"I, not we..."

"No we. The day before it was Sookie that told me that I had to feed Lucan, if she hadn't I might have forgotten it too."

"I don't believe that. You never forget about him. No matter what happens, he always comes first."

"The same with you Luke. It was just as much me, as it was you. The season is extraordinary, the weather is better than it has even been around this time of the year and all the tourists seem to want to come here for some reason. And it's great for business, both yours as mine, but we just can't handle the pressure. It's been like this for almost 2 weeks now and the inn is completely booked for the next few weeks as well, so it looks like there won't be any changes soon. But we can't go on like this. We hardly see each other awake, and now when we do we're fighting. I don't want that Luke."

"Neither do I. I'll start looking for some help today. Hiring one or two extra employees should do it. Both Caesar and Lane have been working fulltime lately and so have I. Neither of us had a day off, or even a few hours."

"I'll do the same. Michel will be back by the end of the week, but I think I can hire someone extra. With the way the inn is going now, we can afford it. Then maybe we can both take a day or so off soon and spend some time together, with the baby of course."

"I'd like that." He smiled.

She stood up, walked around the table and sat down on Luke's lap. She put her arms around his neck and laid her head in the crook of his neck. He hugged her tight. After a while he pulled back and kissed her. "It's still early. We can get a few more hours of sleep if we go to bed now. I know we can both use it."

"Sounds like a great plan. I just can't sleep without you next to me."

"Yeah, same here." He kissed her again before they stood up and walked up the stairs together.

_A/N: That's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to let me know ;) The next chapter will be up soon!_


	34. A good change

_A/N: I promised to update again soon, so here it is. Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed the last chapter. And thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your feedback!  
__This chapter takes place the same day as the last one. Let me know what you think!_

**Chapter 34 A good change**

Lorelai pushed the stroller into the inn at 8.15. An old lady walked towards her and glanced inside. "What a beautiful baby, dear."

"Thanks Mrs. Thompson."

"How old is he? It is a he right?"

"He's 3 months."

"He's so big already."

"He got that from his father I guess."

"Maybe." The woman smiled. "Do you have more kids dear?"

"I have a daughter, Rory."

"How old is she?"

"21."

Mrs. Thompson looked at Lorelai. "Oh."

"Yes. She's in London right now, on an exchange program. But if you don't mind, I have to get to work."

"Sure dear. Don't work to hard."

"I won't Mrs. Thompson." Lorelai walked towards the kitchen in a hurry, afraid anyone else would ask her annoying questions.

Sookie looked up. "Hey, how are you?"

"Fine."

"You sure? You look tired."

"I am. I didn't sleep so well last night. Long story, I'll tell you later. But I was wondering if you have a moment to talk?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"You know how busy the inn has been lately, and it's only a few days until Michel comes back, but even when he is back, there's still too much work to do for the both of us, so I was wondering if we can get some extra help, so I can actually take a day off sometime soon. I hardly got to spent any time with Luke lately, and I really miss him you know?"

"Yeah I do. I miss Jackson and the kids, too."

"You should let Manny take over some times. You're working too hard as well."

"But…"

"No buts, Manny can handle it. But you don't have a problem with me hiring someone else?"

"Of course not. If you think it's necessary you should. If we can afford it of course."

"We can. Business is going great lately."

"Good, then you can hire someone else."

"Thanks. Hey, do you think that if I find someone that is really good, I can get away for a few days?"

"Didn't you just say that there's too much work for you and Michel alone and that's why we need to hire someone else?"

"I did, but… just a few days you know? I would love to get away from here for a few days with Luke and the baby. To catch up for the last few weeks."

Sookie winked at her. "I know what you're talking about."

"Sookie." Lorelai tried to sound angry but she smiled instead.

"A few days, sure why not?"

"Thanks, you're the best. Now all I have to do is convince Luke to take me to his cabin."

"I'm sure he would love to get away, too. He can let Lane and Caesar cover the diner."

"Yeah, and he's hiring some extra help too. He's been just as busy as we were lately. But you already know that."

"I do. Now go, the faster you find someone, the faster you can get out of here."

Lorelai smiled. "Alright, alright, I'm out of here already."

"Good."

Lorelai walked into her office and took the baby out of the stroller and laid him down into the playpen. She handed him a rattle, which he took in his little hand, shaking it around. She smiled as the baby smiled.

After watching Lucan for a while, she sat down behind her desk and thought about how to hire someone fast. She thought a temporary hiring would probably be the best, because even though business was going great at the moment, she had no idea how it would be even a few weeks from now. Of course there were bookings already, but things could turn around easily. And she also needed someone she can trust.

She looked in the phone book for the number of an employment agency. After she found one she dialed the number. She asked a few questions about how the hiring worked and how she could find someone to trust. She also asked if they had someone in their files that matched her description.

"Let's see…" She heard the woman press some keys on the keyboard. "We have 5 people that match your description the best. They have the right education and a lot of experience. They are all capable of the job. How about I fax you their files so you can choose who you want to interview?"

"Sounds perfect." Lorelai gave them her fax number and the woman promised to fax her the files immediately. She kept her promise and Lorelai received them within 5 minutes. She went through them and chose 3 people she liked most. The others weren't completely what she was looking for. She called the agency again and they promised to send them by today for a job interview.

Lorelai was standing behind the front desk when a young woman walked in. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Claire Bennett, I'm looking for Lorelai Gilmore?"

"That's me." Lorelai gave Claire a hand. "I assume you're here for the job interview?"

"Yes I am."

"Okay, follow me to my office." They walked towards the office where Lucan was asleep in the playpen.

"What a cute baby. Is he yours?"

"Yes, his name is Lucan. He's 3 months." Lorelai nodded to the chair. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." Claire took the chair and sat down across from Lorelai. "It's great you take your son to work. My mother was always working when I was a kid, and I was raised by a nanny. I hardly ever saw my mother and my father ran away even before I was born."

"I'm sorry."

"That's okay. I got used to it. And the nanny was really nice. I see her more as my mother than my own mother. I hardly ever see my own mother anymore. Only at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter."

"Those were the only days I saw my parents for years."

"So you don't have a good relationship with your parents either?"

"Let's say I never had the kind of relationship with my mother I always wanted. She wanted completely different things for me then I did. I ran away from home when I was 16 after my daughter was born. My mother started interfering with the way I raised her and I didn't want that. I didn't want to raise my daughter the way I was raised so I had to leave. I got a job as a maid in the Independence inn so I could provide for me and my daughter."

"You got pregnant at 16?"

"About that time." Lorelai smiled. "Maybe it sounds weird, but that's one of the best things that ever happened to me. All my dreams were gone at once of course, and it wasn't always easy, but I got the most amazing daughter in the world."

"What about her father?"

"He couldn't really take the responsibility. He was around sometimes, but only when he felt like spending some time with his daughter, never the other way around. My parents wanted me to marry him when I got pregnant, but I didn't want to. They held that against me for a long time."

"Sounds like you've been through a lot."

"Yeah, but everything worked out okay in the end. I worked myself up from a maid to the manager of the inn, and a few years ago my best friend and I opened this inn. I'm married to this amazing guy and I have Rory and Lucan. There's nothing more I want, except some free time to spent with my son and my husband."

"And your daughter, she's in college now?"

"Yes. She always wanted to go to Harvard, but she went to Yale instead. Right now she's in London as an exchange student. She will finally come home 2 weeks from now."

"You must really miss her."

"Yeah. She's been back twice. The first time at Christmas when Luke proposed to me and she left after the wedding, January first. We decided we had been waiting too long already so we wanted to get married right away, especially since Rory was there. The second time she came back was unexpected, after my mother got seriously hurt in a car accident. She's still recovering but everything is going to be alright."

"I'm glad."

"Me too. But you're not here to hear about my life stories. Did the employment agency explained what the job holds?"

"She told me that it's a semi-managing job. It's only temporary because it's a busy season and there's too much work for you and your manager. But I'm not sure what kind of tasks will be mine."

"You will have to do many tasks. My manager is on vacation right now but will be back by the end of the week and starts again on Monday. It depends how fast you can start, but if you can start immediately you have to cover the front desk. When he comes back that will be his job again but there are many other tasks that need to be done. There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done. I will do most of that myself, but right now there's so much, I could use some help. What else…" Lorelai thought for a second before explaining all the other things that needed to be done. The two women talked about the job and Lorelai offered Claire a tour through the inn. After that they came back to the office to finish their talk.

"So what do you think?"

"It sounds very interesting. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this since I graduated from college. Unfortunately I haven't found a permanent job yet. I worked at several inns all over the country, but it were all jobs like this one, during busy seasons when people need some help. I want to get a lot of experience so I can open my own inn one day. That's my dream. And I hope that my inn will be as amazing as yours. I've been in a lot of inns but none of them are as impressing as yours. I've never really had a semi-managing position. I had one when I had my internship but I didn't get the opportunity to show what I have learned after that."

"How long ago did you say you graduated?"

"Almost a year now."

Lorelai looked at the resume Claire handed her earlier. "Well, for someone who graduated only a year ago you have a very impressing resume."

Clair smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"I still have two other people to interview, but I will call you by the end of the day to tell you if you got the job. Assuming you will, are you able to start tomorrow?"

"Absolutely!"

"That would be great. So I'll call you by the end of the day."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Lorelai smiled and stood up. "I would have loved to talk to you longer, but as you know I'm very busy so I better get some work done. Plus it's almost lunch time and the baby will wake up soon."

"Of course. I won't keep you from your work."

"It was very nice to meet you Claire." Lorelai shook her hand.

"It was nice to meet you, too." Lorelai noticed how sincere she sounded. She really liked the girl and knew the other two people had to be really good if she would offer them the job instead of Claire.

In the diner Luke was having a job interview himself. He put a 'Help wanted' sign on the window and it wasn't long until the people started walking in. First Kirk who Luke delicately got rid off, second a teenager who was looking for a job after school but was very incapable for the job. Then a young man who was about to graduate culinary school and was looking for a temporary job until he found something permanent as a chef in a restaurant. A diner wasn't the thing he was looking for, but it was the first job he could actually get. Not that he had bad cooking skills, but because of the busy season most restaurants in the region didn't felt like hiring someone that wasn't experienced.

Luke had his own way in interviewing. He let the boy cook a few things and tried some of the stuff himself and let both Caesar and Lane taste as well. They were all impressed with the young man's skills.

"Besides cooking, do you mind serving and working long hours?"

"Not at all. I'm looking for a job so I can get experience. I know a diner isn't the first place that comes to mind after culinary school, but this one is different."

"So you don't think you're too good for the job?"

"Absolutely not. I just love to cook and to be around people. I don't mind working late hours and starting early. And when I was in high school, I worked at a diner during the weekends. I served and they let me cook too. That's what inspired me to go to culinary school in the first place. I really want this job and I see this place is very busy so I will start right away if you need me. I'm graduating two weeks from now, but I have a lot of free time on my hands. Sounds stupid right before graduating, and most people are really busy, but I made sure I finished everything on time because I hate doing everything at the last moment."

"Fine. You get the job."

"Thanks. Do you want me to start right now?"

"We have to fill in the paperwork first, but you can start afterwards if you want. They went upstairs to the apartment and signed all the necessary forms.

Luke walked into the inn, carrying a Luke's bag. He saw Lorelai wasn't in the lobby so he walked straight towards her office. She was feeding Lucan when he came in. "Hey." She smiled when she saw him.

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Good. I had a great job interview this morning and have two more in the afternoon. I'm sure that by the end of the day I have someone to help us out here."

"Sounds great."

"Yeah, and even better then you think it is. What are you doing here anyway?"

"What, I can't bring my beautiful wife some lunch?"

She smiled. "Of course you can, but it's lunch time so the diner must be packed."

"Yes it is. But I'm a little faster with the hiring process then you are."

"So you found someone?"

"Yep. I put a sign on the window and within ten minutes there was someone asking for the job."

"It must have been a great guy if you hired him immediately."

"Hell no, you can guess one time who the guy asking for the job was."

"Let me guess…" She pretended to think real hard. "It can't be Kirk right?" She smiled.

"Yep. And I don't want him working anywhere near my diner."

"So, you got lucky the second time?"

"Nope, school kid with no potential. But the third guy was perfect. He's graduating from culinary school in two weeks and worked in a diner during his high school period. It inspired him to go to culinary school in the first place. Don't know how a diner can inspire you to do that, but whatever."

"You could have gone there if you wanted to Luke. You're a great cook."

"Yeah, but you don't need a fancy school to teach you that. Besides, I got the best teacher I could wish for, and much cheaper too."

"I have to agree with you on that one. But let's quit all the talking with that nicely smelling lunch in that bag of yours."

He smiled. "Sure." He opened the bag and handed her a cheeseburger and chili fries.

"Oh, you know how to please a woman."

"That's what they say, yes." He smirked.

"Hey." But she had to smile too. She looked at the food and then at the baby. Eating while holding a baby and a bottle wasn't going to be easy.

"Here, hand him to me. That is, if you trust me to feed him."

She knew he meant it as a tease, but it made her feel guilty anyway. "Luke, I'm so sorry."

"I know, me too. I shouldn't have said that."

She nodded, then stood up and handed the baby to Luke. She sat down again and took a bite from her burger. "Wow, this tastes really great. Did you try a new recipe?"

"Nope, Jake made it."

"The new guy?"

"Yes."

"We're definitely keeping him. This is amazing!"

"That's what Lane and Caesar told me. And trust me, his salads are good too."

"I guess I have to take you on that one. I'm not willing to find out myself."

"I was afraid about that."

Lorelai smiled. "So, when we both have some help, do you think that when everything's settled, we can go away for a few days?"

"What?"

"Well I was thinking, the weather is great, we hardly saw each other the past two weeks and if we stay here there's a big change they'll make us come back to work, so going away for a few days seems like the only way to really spend some time together."

"I don't know Lorelai. There are tourists everywhere, every place is completely booked at the moment and I don't want to hang out between people and be a tourist myself. You know me and you know that's not me. I know you love to be around people but I thought it was about spending some time together with the baby. Just the three of us and not hundreds of people surrounding us in some tourist center."

"I didn't meant a tourist center Luke. I know you hate those places even though they are really nice and you would love them once you're there." She smiled sweetly. "But I know you're not willing to find out about that and it isn't like we're going to spend time with all those people. It will be just about the three of us."

"But…"

"Let me finish."

"It sounded like you were done."

"Well I wasn't. Look, I'm not talking about some tourist center, I was talking about a nice quiet place, surrounded by water so you can fish, and most of all, silence."

"Don't think we can find anything like that on short notice."

"I think we can Luke. As I remember correctly, you have a nice cabin at a lake. I've never been there but I know you have it. And as it's yours it has to be quiet there, plus you can fish too. It's perfect. And I'm sure it's available."

"I don't know. It's pretty far away and there's no power. It's not something you'll like. I've actually been considering selling it."

"Why would you do that? I don't need electricity. I can read and I can watch you fish. And I assume there's a way you can cook so we can heat up Lucan's bottles too."

"I know you Lorelai, it's nothing you'll like. I know you, and I know you will hate it."

"You won't even let me find out myself. It's not like we'll be sleeping in a tent so it won't be completely primitive right? I don't need all kind of fancy things like electricity and I don't care if there's no phone or if my cell phone won't receive any signals. I can do without it. It will be perfect because that way nobody can disturb us. It will be just you and me and a baby who's asleep most of the time. I can think of many things to do that don't inquire electricity. Well they do kind of, but not the one you…"

"Lorelai."

"Fine. Just give it a try. It will be great, trust me."

"I'll think about it okay? Let's finish lunch so I can get back to the diner. I want to keep an eye on Jake to see how he's doing before leaving him alone in the diner under Caesar's or Lane's supervision."

Lorelai nodded. "But promise me you'll give it some honest thoughts. You should make a pro and con list, I always do that when I can't decide by myself, and it works perfectly for Rory as well so it should work for you too."

"I'm sure I can make a decision by myself Lorelai."

"But that's no fun."

"It's not supposed to be."

"It is too. Planning a vacation is fun. It's half the fun of the vacation itself. Like when Rory and I went to Europe, we spent months planning the whole thing even though we didn't plan it exactly, you know."

"No I don't, but that's okay. I've never really planned a vacation."

"How about that cruise you went on?"

"Thanks for reminding me of that." He sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't meant to."

"I know. I never really planned that. I didn't even know if I was really going to go until the last moment. I just leave whenever I feel like leaving, close the diner and that's it."

"That's the best way to plan a vacation anyway. I've done many road trips. Just pack and leave and see where to end up. We can do that too if you like? It would be great. We pack the car, put Lucan in his car seat and just drive. It will be so much fun." Her eyes started to glow.

"No, I don't mean not planning like that. I want to know where to go before I leave, especially if we're taking a baby with us."

"You're no fun," She pouted.

"Stop that. It's not going to help you."

"But."

"I'll think about it and that's it. Now finish your lunch."

"Fine." She picked up a fry and put it in her mouth.

That afternoon the two other persons stopped by for the job interview as well. Lorelai had a great time with the both of them and they were both perfect for the job as well. Now she had to decide which one she would hire. If she had to go for character she would pick Claire because she liked her the most, but she knew that as a businesswoman, that wasn't the thing to go for.

The second one, Mary Henderson was the most experienced. She was a little older than Lorelai and had worked as a manager of several inns since she was 25 years old. She was even over-qualified for the job. Lorelai wondered if that could be a problem.

The third person, Thomas Garret, was 31. His mother owned an inn in California and he helped her in his free time since he was ten years old. It kind of reminded her of Rory helping her. Thomas was experienced, he had a great character and he was also perfect for the job. He had enough experience, he was not over qualified and he wanted to take over his mother's inn when she retired.  
He wanted to work at several inns around the country to get a lot of extra experience before it was time and had a few years left to do so. He told her, his mother wasn't so pleased by him working somewhere else as she wanted him with her, but he wanted to travel before settling down permanently. He had worked in New York for a few months and was looking for something else now.

Lorelai sighed as she walked into the kitchen. Maybe Sookie could help her.

"Hey what's up? You look tired. I know you looked tired this morning, but this is a different tired." Sookie looked at her friend, worried.

"Gee thanks. It's just, you know how we talked about hiring someone right? You've seen the three people I interviewed today. They are all perfect for the job and I have no idea who to pick. What do you think?"

"Oh, I don't know about that honey. That's your job. I know who to hire when it comes to kitchen staff, but you hired all the other people around here. I don't know what to look at and how to see how someone's qualified for the job. That's all your part of this."

Lorelai sighed. "I know, but it was easier then. We were hiring so many people that when two people were perfect for the job, I could hire both of them. I can't do that now. There are three of them, all perfect, and I can hire only one."

"Sounds tough. So pick the one you like most."

"I thought about that, but I think that's not the honest way to do it. What if one of the others sues us or something."

"Can they do that? They don't know they are all perfect for the job so they can't sue us if we don't hire them right? I think every company would get sued all the time if that was possible."

"Yeah you're right. But still, it won't be honest."

"You have to work with them. We have to trust them to do the job perfectly and they have to work with Michel."

"So I should hire the one he would hate the most right?"

Sookie laughed. "That would be a good way to make a choice."

"I guess I'll make a pro and con list instead and see who is the most perfect one for the job. I know Luke thinks they are lame but…"

"He said that?"

"He says he can make a decision by himself. I asked him about taking Lucan and me to his cabin for a few days and he says it's nothing for me. I can be without power right? I don't need a TV, I read. And if I can spend some time with my husband and my son, what else do I need?"

"Don't you want to wait until Rory gets back? So you can go with you're whole family?"

"I've considered that option, but I'm not sure if she wants to come, she might take Warren with her and I'm sure she rather spends time with her boyfriend than with her old boring mother."

"You don't seriously think that right? You can take them both if you want too."

"What, you think I'm old and boring?" She pouted, then sighed. I could, but I have no idea how big Luke's cabin is. But he has to say yes first anyway so I better not get my hopes up. Plus I have something else to worry about first." At the same time crying was heard trough the baby monitor attached to Lorelai's pants. "And it looks like that has to wait too. I have to go see what's wrong with him. It's to early for him to be hungry so it must be something else."

"You'll figure it out."

"Yeah I will. Thanks for the talk."

"That's what I'm here for."

"Good. See you later."

"Later."

Lorelai walked into her office and picked up the baby. "What's wrong honey? You can't be hungry." She held him against her chest as she kept talking to him. He was just calming down a little when there was a knock on her door. "Yes?"

The door opened and Claire walked in. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I know that you were going to call me tonight about the job, but I was hoping you knew about it already. My daughter wants to go out for diner and see a movie tonight so I won't be home. I can stay home if you didn't make up your mind yet but..."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yeah. I know I didn't mention her this morning, but people think it's weird that I have a daughter already, especially when they find out how old she is."

"I told you I got pregnant at 16 so you should have known my opinion would have been different. But sit down first so we can talk about this."

"Okay thanks." Claire sat down. "I just turned 15 when I met Stan. He was 5 years older then me and I was head over heals in love with him. I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. He wanted different things then I wanted though. He was always talking about having sex. I wasn't ready yet and I told him that. He said he was okay with that but never stopped talking about it. I was in love with him and I didn't want to lose him so one day I slept with him. After that he dumped me. I found out I was pregnant six weeks later. I told my mother who shrugged her shoulders and replied she didn't expect anything else from me. She said that she would hire a nanny again so I could finish school."

"What did you do?"

"I was fifteen and I was afraid. I was happy that she wasn't angry and that she didn't make me give up the baby. I was afraid she would do that. Now I know that she didn't care what happened and that she decided to fix it with her money. She never asked about the father, not once. I wanted nothing more then to finish high school and go to college. I didn't want anybody to know about my pregnancy though, so I decided to drop out of high school for a year, till after the baby was born and went back later."

"And you let the nanny take care of your daughter?"

"Yes. My mother let me decide which nanny I wanted to hire. I called my old nanny and told her what happened. She came to me immediately and I could finally get my story out. She helped me with the baby and she forced me to go back to school again and to college after high school. She let me live in her home because my mother still didn't cared and so I could go out if I wanted. Not that I did, but I could have. Anyway, to make a long story short, I have a daughter, Caden. She's 7 now." Claire looked at Lorelai and saw she was still listening. She didn't look away like every other person did when she told her this story.

She continued. "I hate that I had to take her all around the country because I can't find a permanent job, but I have no choice. She has trouble making friends because of that. She finally has a friend but if I don't get a job around here, I might have to take that away from her again. She'll hate me." Claire had to swallow away the lump in her throat.

Lorelai looked at the girl in front of her as she felt her son against her chest. He had finally stopped crying. She looked down and saw him staring at her with his big blue eyes, as if he was telling her what to do. Lorelai looked at Claire again. "I'll give you the job, but you know that I can't promise that you can keep it. At least you will be safe for a little while. And if you ever need to take your daughter to work, that won't be a problem. I have Lucan with me half the time, and Sookie takes her son and daughter here as well if her husband can't watch them."

"I got the job?" Claire had tears in her eyes now.

Lorelai nodded. "Yes you do. I was just about to call you when he started crying." She knew she lied but she didn't want Claire to think that this was the reason she got the job, even though it partially was. "You just have to be honest with me the next time."

"I will, but I didn't want you to give me the job because of Caden."

"I didn't. You get the job because you're perfect for it."

"Thank you. I appreciate this so much."

"Okay. I expect you here tomorrow morning at 8 o clock. We have to go through some forms you have to fill out before you start working here, and you can start after that."

"I'll be there."

"Good. You better go get your daughter now."

"She's waiting for me in the lobby. Do you know a great place where you can eat around here?"

"That will be Luke's diner. I know that from years of experience. I walked in there for the first time eleven years ago and I married the owner a few months ago."

"The food must be really good then."

"The food and the coffee. If you wait fifteen minutes I'll walk you there. I was planning on going home early today. I didn't sleep too well last night and the day has been long enough as it is."

"That would be great."

"Good. Let me finish up here. I have to make a few phone calls, get the baby into his stroller and say goodbye to Sookie."

"I'll wait for you in the lobby."

The four of them entered the diner 25 minutes later. Lorelai looked around but didn't see Luke. She did see a young man behind the counter she never saw before.

"Hey, you must be Jake."

"Yep, that's me. But I have no idea who you are."

"I'm Lorelai, Luke's wife. Do you know where he is?"

"He's in the kitchen."

"Can you get him for me?"

"Sure, no problem."

Lorelai turned her attention back to Claire. "Take a seat, someone will be here soon to take orders."

"Mommy, isn't it too early to eat?" Caden looked at her mother.

"You said you were hungry, plus we want to make it to the movies in time right?"

"Yeah." The girls smiled.

Luke appeared after a few seconds. "Hey, what are you doing here so early?" He gave Lorelai a quick kiss.

"I decided that I worked enough for today, plus I wanted you to meet someone. This is Claire and her daughter Caden. Claire will be working at the Dragonfly starting tomorrow."

"Hello Claire." Luke extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Luke."

"Nice meeting you Luke, I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, right well…" He seemed a little uncomfortable. "Lorelai, can we talk upstairs for a minute?"

"What did I do wrong?" She stood up and picked the baby out of the stroller before following him upstairs to the apartment.

"Sit down please."

"What's wrong Luke? What did I do?"

"You did nothing. I was just thinking after I left and well, you know."

"I don't know. I'm the one that's usually rambling and not making sense, but right now I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know, about the vacation. I've thought about it and I thought that maybe we can…"

"We can?" She looked at him questionably.

"I thought that we can go to the cabin another time if you really want to."

"Why not this time Luke? I promise I will like it. I'm sure I won't hate it, electricity or not, I don't mind."

"I know, I realized that, but..."

"But what?"

"Stop interrupting me. I came up with something else."

"You did?"

"Don't act so surprised. I have idea's too sometimes."

"Well spill." She was curious now.

"I was thinking that maybe we can go pick up Rory in London. I know that it won't be so convenient to take a baby into an airplane, plus I hate them, but I thought that it would be nice to go pick her up now that she comes home permanently, at least for now."

Lorelai stood up and started jumping up and down, completely forgetting she was still holding Lucan. He immediately started crying. "Oops."

"Yeah oops. Can you calm down please?"

"I don't think so, but I'll try." Lorelai handed him the baby to be sure she wouldn't scare him more then she already did. "You really want to go to London to pick up Rory? In an airplane, taking the baby with us?"

"I'm not leaving him at home. And yes, I'm serious. We can go a few days early so we can spend some time together, plus that way you can get to meet her boyfriend before he comes here next fall. Maybe she will bring him here this summer but his parents might want to spend the summer with him if he comes here for a year."

Lorelai sat down on the couch, completely surprised that he was proposing that.

"You don't like it? We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I don't like it, I love it Luke. I'm just… shocked I guess. You know how to surprise a woman."

"That's what they say yes."

"Hey, that's the second time you say that in one day, you're not funny mister." She smacked him in the shoulder, carefully not to scare Lucan this time."

"Hey, where was that for?"

"So we're really going to London to pick up Rory?" She ignored his question, still surprised about his proposal.

"If you want too, yes."

"I do, I really do." Tears filled her eyes and she started sobbing.

"Hey, what's up?" He put his arm around her.

She let him hold her and cried for a while. After she calmed down enough she looked up. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong." Her eyes were begging him to tell her what was wrong with her.

"Hey, it's okay." He wiped away the tears from her eyes.

She smiled slightly as she looked into Luke's eyes. Then she looked down at Lucan and he smiled at her. Luke noticed it too and they both started laughing.

"I have a feeling that he keeps telling me what to do."

He looked at her confused. "What?"

"Earlier today I was doubting who I would hire for the inn. All three of the people I interviewed were perfect for the job. I liked Claire the most but I thought that it would be the wrong reason to hire someone. After talking to Sookie who was absolutely no help, Lucan started to cry. I went to my office and picked him up. I held him up to my chest and just when he was starting to calm down Claire came in and she started talking about her daughter. This morning when I interviewed her we talked about Lucan and about Rory, so she knew I got pregnant when I was 16, but she didn't tell me she had her daughter when she was 15. After she finished telling her story I looked at Lucan and he looked at me with those big blue eyes of his as if telling me to hire Claire."

"So you asked Sookie for advice and it was Lucan giving it to you?" He had to laugh.

"I'm serious Luke. I swear he was telling me to do the right thing."

"Sure." He laughed even harder.

"Look at him now. He laughs at me to tell me I have to laugh, not cry. He wants me to be happy."

"Of course he does, so do I, but I'm sure our three month old son can't tell you what to do."

"Well I do."

He shook his head. "You're crazy, you know that."

"Hey." She hit him again.

"You're feeling better I see." He smirked.

"Yeah I do. Thanks. You know, I guess I'm just so tired and then with that fight yesterday I hardly slept and it was exhausting anyway. Plus I ask you to take me to your cabin for a few days and instead you offer to take me to London. You're an amazing guy, you know that?" She looked at him seriously.

"You told me that before, but it's good to hear it once in a while. And you're an amazing woman too."

She kissed him. "Do you think we can still get two airplane tickets to London and back here on the same flight Rory takes?"

He stood up and walked to the table. She looked at him confused. "Luke?"

"Just a sec." He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. "This is our flight reservation. I had to pay the tickets immediately because someone else wanted them too. They were the last two seats available."

She picked up the paper and let her hands trace it. "Every time I think you can't surprise me anymore, you do something like this and I'm stunned again. Wow."

"So you're not mad I went behind your back buying those tickets?"

"Why would I be mad? This is amazing. I love you so much."

"I love you too." He kissed her again. "Why don't you take Lucan home. I'll close early tonight so we can all get a night off. I'll be home around eight."

"That would be nice."

She took the baby from him and stood up. Before she reached the door she heard Luke call her name. "Lorelai?" She turned around.

"Yes?"

"Can you not tell Rory we're coming? I want to surprise her."

"I like that thought. It will be hard not to tell her but I'll try really hard."

"I know you will."

"Hey Luke? Can you bring dinner home with you, so we can eat together? I missed that lately."

"Of course. But do you think you can wait that long?"

"Yeah, otherwise I'll eat a pop tart or something."

He smiled. "Good, I'll see you at home." He stood up and walked downstairs with her. He watched as she carefully placed Lucan in his stroller and opened the door for her so she could push it outside. She turned around and kissed him. "See you at home."

"See you at home." With that she walked away. He kept watching them until he didn't see them anymore, a big smile on his face, thinking. 'It's amazing how much can change in one day.'


	35. Relapse

_A/N: Just a short note because it's 1.33 a.m. and I'm pretty tired. Thanks LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading even though you're very busy at the moment! And thanks to those of you who read and reviewed the last chapter. And of course, let me know what you think of this one! _

**Chapter 35 Relapse**

The next day was a lot calmer for Lorelai. Even though it was Claire's first day, she could easily notice the difference. She had a week until they were leaving to pick up Rory and she knew that with Michel back and Claire to help them it wouldn't be a problem for her to leave for a few days.

She walked into Luke's at 5.30 and noticed it was still the same. The place was packed and Lane was serving. "Hey, where's Luke?"

At the same time she saw him enter the diner, holding Lucan in his arms.

"Hey."

"Hey." He walked towards her, kissed her and handed her the baby.

"It's busy."

"Yep as always. I would offer you a seat but there isn't one available. If you want we can go upstairs and have diner together? Lucan just ate."

"I was planning on eating fast and visit my mother afterwards. It's been a few days since I've been there and I want to tell her we're going to pick up Rory."

"Okay. But do you want to take diner home with you or eat here?"

"Here would be nice."

He nodded. "If you take Lucan upstairs I'll make us some diner and be up soon."

"Sounds like a good plan."

He walked into the apartment 15 minutes later. Lorelai was sitting on the couch playing with Lucan. He smiled as he saw the interaction between the two. "Dinner's ready."

"Good, I'm starved."

"Of course." Luke put the dinner on the table. "How was your day?"

"Great. With Claire there I got a lot of work done. She took care of the front desk and the phone so I could do paperwork and make the final arrangements for the wedding we have this Saturday." She stood up and walked towards the table as well, putting Lucan in her lap.

"I gave Lane and Caesar the evening off. They both leave at seven and it's just Jake and me. I figured I should give them off as much time as possible since they have to handle the diner by themselves a few days soon."

"That won't be a problem, they love to take care of the place by themselves."

"I know they do. But I feel bad leaving the diner with them and have some sort of vacation myself."

"They can have a vacation too right? Once we come back, just like I gave Michel some weeks off after everything he did for us the past few months. I feel kind of bad to leave the place with him, but that's why Claire will be there. He doesn't have to do it all by himself and we need this."

"Yeah, that's true."

"We will have a great time. I can't wait to leave." She smiled as she thought on their upcoming vacation. "I can't wait to see Rory's face when we're suddenly in front of her you know? She called last night to see how we were doing and it was so hard not to tell her. She knew something was up so I told her I was just tired. I'm not sure if she bought it though."

"I know how hard it is for you to keep a secret but it will only be for a week or so."

"Yeah, at least there's enough to talk about but it's hard to lie to her."

"It's not that you're lying, it's just not telling the complete truth."

"What's the difference?"

"You know the difference. Now eat, your fries are getting cold and you don't want that to happen. Plus, you don't want to keep your mother waiting right?"

"No I don't."

After dinner Lorelai went home to change. She looked at Lucan and saw he had a milk stain on his shirt so she changed him as well. She put some diapers in the bag and took a milk bottle from the fridge, putting it in the bag as well. She put the car seat next in the car and walked around to the drivers seat. The drive to Hartford went fast. There wasn't much traffic and they arrived at the Gilmore residence around seven o' clock. Lorelai took Lucan out of the car and walked towards the front door. She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Even though the relationship with her mother had improved a lot, she still expected the worse.

A maid opened the door. "Good evening Mrs. Danes. Come in."

"Thanks."

"Can I take your coat?"

Lorelai put the car seat down and took Lucan's coat off, then her own and handed them to the maid.

"Are your parents expecting you?"

"No, I just came to visit."

"Of course. They are in the dining room. I just served dinner. Do you want to join them?"

"No thanks, that's unnecessary." She picked the bottle out of the diaper back. "But can you put this in the fridge for me please?"

"Of course ma'am."

"Please, call me Lorelai."

"I would ma'am, but your mother wouldn't approve that."

"Of course. Dining room you said, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

Lorelai picked up the car seat and walked into the dining room. Emily looked up. "Lorelai."

"Hi mom. Hi dad."

"Good evening Lorelai."

"Lorelai, what are you doing her?" Emily looked at her daughter.

"I was wondering how you were doing so I thought, why not go by for a visit?"

"Why didn't you call first?"

"Because our schedule is so busy at the moment, it's hard to plan in advance. But I'll wait in the living room until your done."

"Nonsense, please take a seat Lorelai. We don't want to be rude Emily."

"Of course not. Sit down Lorelai."

"Thanks mom."

Lorelai sat down at her regular spot at the table, putting Lucan on the floor next to her.

"Why don't you take him out? He can't see anything from there"

"He's sleeping so he won't see anything anyway."

"Oh, I see." Emily sounded disappointed. Even though she saw her grandson a lot more then she saw Rory when she was little, after Lorelai ran away of course, she still missed him a lot.

Lorelai noticed the disappointed in her mother's voice. "I won't leave just yet. I took his bottle with me so if he wakes up later, I'll let you feed him."

Emily's face lit up. "That would be nice."

"How's the inn doing Lorelai?" Richard sounded very interested.

"It's doing great. With the good weather, business is better then ever. I even had to hire someone extra to get all the work done. The place is completely booked for the next few weeks and there are still calls every day from people that want a last minute booking. Most of them try to find something else, but others book a room for a few weeks from now. It's like with this weather, everybody feels like going away for a few days."

"That's wonderful. But you don't work to hard right?" Emily sounded concerned.

"No, that's why I hired Claire. There are so many tourists in town the diner is crowded as well. Because of that Luke and I hardly saw each other the past few weeks and that's also why I haven't been around here as much as I wanted to be. We both decided that it couldn't go on like this and hired help. Only temporarily of course."

"Of course. Seems like a very appropriate decision. You have to be there for your family as well."

"Yes I know, that's why I am going to take a few days off at the end of next week."

Her father looked at her in shock. "You're leaving your company alone in the most busy season of the year?"

"Only for a few days, to pick up Rory. You remember her, young woman, looks a lot like me? Rory?"

"I know who Rory is Lorelai, but she will perfectly capable of coming here by herself. She's done it twice before. You don't leave your business alone with your employees just because you feel like going away for a few days."

"My employees are perfectly capable of handling the inn by themselves."

"That's not the point Lorelai." He sighed. "Did you learn nothing over the years?"

"Where will Lucan stay?" Emily tried to change the subject.

"With us of course, he can't stay home by himself. He's a little too young for that. Maybe next year, but not yet." Lorelai sighed. 'How could I come here and think they would be happy about me bringing Rory home?'

"You can't take a baby on an airplane."

"I don't see why not. People take baby's with them on airplanes all the time."

"You always hear baby's crying on an airplane. It's not a place for them. People will look at you because of that."

"So what? I'm not leaving my son at home."

"You can leave him with us."

"You can't even take care of yourself."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. It's your father who thinks it's necessary to have a nurse around here to help me. I know that I can't do everything, but I will be perfectly capable of taking care of a baby. They're not that much work."

"You're wrong there mom. They are. And I'm sorry to say it but you're not so young anymore and in your current condition you won't be able to take care of a baby."

"Don't use that tone on your mother Lorelai. We'll let the nurse help us with the baby. It will be perfectly fine for you to leave him with us."

"That's exactly the way it was when I was a baby. You let other people taking care of me. I will not do that to my son. I'm his mother and I'm the one taking care of him. The only person who will help me to do that is Luke. It's useless to have this discussion because I'm not leaving him with you."

"I don't see why not Lorelai. You're a hardworking woman, there has to be someone around all the time to take care of him, and he shouldn't have to wait just because you have to answer the phone or because you have to check someone in."

"He doesn't have to. Plus, who was home for me when I was a kid mom? It certainly wasn't you. I'm there for my son and I'm not leaving him with some stranger. I don't see why we're fighting about this because this is between Luke and me. We discussed this during my pregnancy and we agreed to take care of him ourselves. That's how it is and that's how it will be. There's nothing you can do about it. And I don't care if you find it inappropriate because that's none of your damn business."

"He's my grandson Lorelai, of course I can tell you how I feel about it."

"No you can't mom. This worked perfectly fine when Rory was a baby and it works perfectly fine now. You can't tell me that it's wrong because it isn't. But you know what, forget about it. I thought things changed. I thought that we could have a normal relationship where you are happy for me. I knew it was too much to ask for. After the wedding and how it's been when you got in the accident, I knew it was too good to be true. Forget about it mom. I do this all the time and I don't want it anymore."

"Lorelai."

"No, let me finish. I came here tonight to check on you and to tell you that I'm going to pick up my daughter after she's been away for a year. I know I've seen her a few times in that period but she will come home permanently now. It's different this time. I wanted you to be happy for me, I wanted you to tell me 'That's great Lorelai. I hope you come by as soon as you come back because we missed Rory too.' But forget it." She stood up and picked up the carrier, walking towards the door immediately. She ran into the maid who was just about to enter the dining room. "Can you please get me my coat now?"

"Of course ma'am."

"Lorelai wait." Emily stood up and followed her. She wasn't going as fast as Lorelai because her body was still weak.

Lorelai was almost out of the door when Emily reached her. "Don't leave, I want to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about anymore mom." And with that Lorelai left.

Lorelai went straight towards the diner, knowing Luke would be there. He saw her when she parked the car in front of the diner. He noticed the look on her face and knew something was wrong. He checked his watch. 8 o' clock. She walked into the diner seconds later. "Hey, you're back early." She walked straight past him, not saying anything. She walked upstairs to the apartment. "Jake, I'm going upstairs for a while."

He followed Lorelai and saw her on the couch, cuddling the baby close to her chest. He saw the tears shining in her eyes. He sat down next to her. "What happened?"

Her lip trembled as she stared to speak. "How could I think things were different Luke? How come I do that all the time, fall for it all the time. Am I so stupid?" She shook her head. "I really thought it was different, I though they were happy for me and were approving the things I do in my life, that they were even proud of me." She let a sob escape. "But no, of course not. How could I think that? Am I really that stupid Luke?"

He looked at his wife and whispered. "You're not stupid, you're the smartest, most amazing woman I know."

She started sobbing when he said that, she leaned against him, carefully not to crush Lucan between them. He could feel her body shake and he tried to sooth her. He stroked her hair and whispered comforting words. It took her a while before she calmed down enough so she could talk again. But at the same moment Lucan started crying. "He's hungry. I better feed him."

"Let me heat up a bottle okay?"

She nodded and stood up to change his diaper.

After the bottle was warm Luke motioned to Lorelai to hand him the baby. She complied. They sat down on the couch together as Luke started to feed Lucan.

Lorelai leaned back into the couch, closing her eyes. Luke watched her and the sad and tired expression she had on her face. He wanted to ask her what happened but he didn't want to push her. Although he knew he couldn't help her as long as she didn't tell him what had occurred at her parents' house.

After a few minutes he noticed her breath had become even., she has fallen asleep. When Lucan finished his bottle Luke put him in the bassinet. He walked towards Lorelai and laid her down on the couch. She opened her eyes. He kissed her "Go back to sleep." He watched her as she closed her eyes and fell asleep again immediately. He went downstairs to help Jake in the diner.

It was 9.30 when Luke and Jake had the diner cleaned up completely. "You can go home now Jake."

"Okay thanks."

"How was your first day?"

"It was great. I really enjoy working here."

"Good. I'll see you again tomorrow morning then."

"Absolutely." Jake went into the storage room to get his coat. He appeared again two seconds later and walked out the front door. Luke locked the door behind him and turned off the lights. Then he walked upstairs to get Lorelai and Lucan.

Lorelai was still asleep on the couch. He kneeled down next to her and kissed her forehead. "Lorelai."

Lorelai slowly opened her eyes. "Where am I?"

"The apartment. You fell asleep when I was feeding Lucan."

She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and suddenly remembered what happened. "Oh yeah."

"Come on, let's go home."

"What time is it?"

"9.40."

She nodded. "Let's go home." Luke helped her up and went to get Lucan's stuff. Lorelai put the baby his coat on and put him in the carrier, all of which didn't wake him up. They walked downstairs together and outside they both realized that they each had a car there. "Meet you at home?"

"Can we leave the truck here? I don't feel like driving."

"Sure, no problem. I can walk here tomorrow."

He put Lucan on the backseat of the car as Lorelai sat down in the passenger seat. After Luke was done he walked around to the other side of the car and sat down. He looked at Lorelai, who was staring out of the window, her expression blank. He put the key in the ignition and started the car. Before he started driving he moved his hand to Lorelai's knee and squeezed it. She turned her head towards him and smiled slightly.

When they got home Lorelai walked upstairs to their bedroom immediately. Luke watched her as she climbed the stairs and wondered what happened that she was so upset. He took the baby out of his car seat and walked upstairs as well. He went into the nursery to put the baby in bed. Lucan still hadn't woken up. After that Luke walked into their bedroom and saw Lorelai laying on the bed, staring into the darkness.

He lay down behind her and put his arm around her waist. "What happened Lorelai?" His voice was soft.

"It was okay at first. We had a talk about how busy the inn was and that I hired Claire. Then my mother mentioned that it was okay that I hired her because I have to take care of my family as well. I replied by telling her that that's why I am going to take a few days off at the end of next week because we are going to go London to pick up Rory. Then my father started complaining that it's inappropriate to leave your business with someone else during busy season and my mother complained about how inappropriate it is to take a baby on an airplane. They offered to look after him while we're in London."

"What?"

"That's not all. I replied that I won't leave him with them and suddenly the conversations leads to the point where my mother starts talking about how inappropriate it is for me to take Lucan to work and she sort of implied that I should hire a nanny to take care of him during the day."

"She said that?"

"Not in those exact words, but it's definitely what she meant. Or maybe she meant it even worse, that I should quit my job. You pick yourself."

"I'm sorry Lorelai." He sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"What for? It's not like you did anything. It's just the way my parents are and I can't believe I fall for it again. I want things to change so badly that I started to believe that it could actually happen. Boy was I wrong."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that Luke. None of this is your fault, or even mine. Except from the fact that I let myself believe that things could change. Promise me that the next time I think things have changed, you tell me that they aren't capable of changing? Promise me that Luke."

He shook his head. "How could I do that?"

"To protect me from making the same mistake over and over again. I really thought…. never mind, I don't want to talk about it anymore."

He watched her and knew she had to talk about it even though she believed she said enough. "You know I'm here for you if you do want to talk about it right?"

"I do. You're always here Luke. I don't need my parents as long as I have you." She turned around in his arms to face him. "I love you."

"I love you too. And I will be here for you."

"I know that. That's about the only thing I'm completely sure of in my life."

He smiled. "Even when we fight?"

"Yeah. We only fight because we love each other right?"

"How?"

"Well, you can fight because you hate someone but you can also fight because you love someone, because you care you know?"

"I think I do."

"Good. Do you mind giving Lucan his last bottle? I'm kind of tired."

"Not at all. I would love to."

"Thanks. Do you mind staying here for a while, holding me until I fall asleep?"

"Absolutely not." He turned on his back so she could snuggle up against him. He put his arm safe around her and kissed her forehead. After a few minutes he said, "Things will be okay, you know that, right?"

"Mhmm mmm." Luke smiled, realizing Lorelai already dozed off.

The next morning Lorelai was ready to leave for work when the doorbell rang. She put Lucan's coat down, surprised to who would be in front of the door this early. She was even more surprised when she opened the door and saw who was on the other side. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in please?"

"Of course." Lorelai stepped aside to let Emily in. Emily handed Lorelai her coat and walked into the living room. She was standing next to the playpen when Lorelai entered the living room. "What are you doing here mom?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I don't like how we left things last night."

"Neither do I but this is exactly how things are mom. I'm happy about something and want to share it with you, and then you pull a stunt like that. Every time mom."

"I'm sorry Lorelai. I didn't meant what I said."

"I don't believe that. You should have seen the look on your face. You meant every word." Lorelai shook her head. "And that's the worse part mom."

"But I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it."

"No, you shouldn't have." Lorelai's voice sounded bitter. "I can't do this anymore. I expect you to change, I expect things to be different but they are not. And a part of me is happy that you turned into your old self again, but I liked the woman you were right after the car accident. I liked all those conversations we had without fighting, without you disapproving the things I do. I can't think that you changed and then find out you haven't. I don't want that anymore because it hurts to much."

"I'm sorry Lorelai."

"I highly doubt that. I know it's different that you show up to apologize, normally you just call and tell me how highly inappropriate it is for me to walk away the way I did. My answering machine would be filled with messages from you. But I can't let myself think that you changed because I know I will get hurt again later, to find out that this was a one-time situation and that things will be the way they were again. The more you recover the more you fall back into old patterns. And I don't say all this happened after the car accident because it happened after I got engaged. Things became better after that, but now… were back to way before that mom. And I don't like it. I'm not sure if I want you in my life anymore if things are like this. And I can't believe I'm saying that because…"

Emily was having difficulty breathing. She was holding her chest and let herself drop down on the couch. Her legs couldn't carrier her anymore.

"Mom. Mom what's happening? Mom talk to me."

"It hurts." Emily's voice sounded weak and Lorelai started to panic.

"Mom where does it hurt." 'Nice Lorelai, her chest hurts, it's obvious.'

"Here." Emily started coughing. "Help me, please."

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes. "Hold on mom. I'm getting some help." She ran towards the phone and silently thanked Luke for always putting the thing back into its carrier. She dialed 911.

"911 emergencies, how may I help you?"

"My mother, she's having difficulty breathing and her chest aches. She's been in a car accident a few weeks ago and her heart stopped then. I don't know what to do."

"Calm down ma'am. Tell me your name."

"Lorelai Danes, but I don't see what this has anything to do with my mother."

"Mrs. Danes, we will send an ambulance to your house right away. But you have to calm down and listen carefully to what I'm saying okay?"

"Okay." Lorelai took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "Okay…."

"Good. You have to stay with your mother and make sure her airway stays open. And it's important that your mother stays calm. You understand me?"

"Yes. I'll do anything I can."

"Very good. Open your front door so the paramedics will be able to get into your house without a problem. Then go to your mother and make sure she stays calm."

"I will."

"Good. The ambulance is on its way, it should be there within five minutes."

"Thank you." Lorelai hung up the phone and turned towards her mother. "You're going to be allright mom, I called an ambulance. You're going to be allright." She dialed Luke's number while she walked to the front door.

He picked up at the second ring. "Luke's."

"Luke, my mother is having trouble breathing and she's having pain in her chest. I think she's having a heart attack."

"Lorelai, where are you?"

"Home. I called an ambulance so it should be here soon but I don't know what to do Luke."

"I'm on my way. Try to stay calm okay."

"I will."

He had already hung up. Lorelai walked back to Emily and sat down next to her. "The ambulance is coming mom."

Emily nodded, the panic readable in her eyes.

Lorelai took Emily's hand in hers. "Everything will be okay mom. You're the strongest woman I know. You have to try to stay calm. We both have too."

Emily nodded, seriously trying to stay calm, but that's hard when you can hardly breath and your chest is hurting. She started to feel nausea as well and her hands started shaking. "Please help me."

"The ambulance is coming soon mom. Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay." Lorelai tried to keep her voice strong and confident but had trouble doing so.

The first one that entered the house was Luke. "Lorelai?" He ran into the living room and found the two women on the couch.

"Luke." Lorelai jumped up and put her arms around Luke.

"What happened?" Luke whispered so Emily wouldn't hear him.

"We were arguing and suddenly she grabbed her chest and her breathing became hard. I don't know what to do Luke." Lorelai panicked again.

Her lifted her chin and made her look him in the eyes. "You have to stay calm okay. For your mother."

Lorelai nodded. At the same moment they heard the ambulance approaching.

"I'll go outside okay, you stay with your mother."

"Okay." Lorelai turned around towards Emily. "There's the ambulance mom. Everything is going to be okay now."

Luke and Lorelai were waiting in the waiting area for some news. "Luke, this is all my fault. If I hadn't yelled at her like I did, if I had just accepted her apology…. It's all my fault." She looked defeated.

"This is not your fault Lorelai. Don't blame yourself on this okay?"

"But I…"

"No buts. This isn't your fault. You have to try to stay calm until we know something. I know how hard it is, but you have to, okay?" He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

"Thank you for coming with me." She swallowed.

"Hey, don't even start there okay. Just don't."

She nodded, as she had to blink away a few tears. They remained silent for a while, until they saw Richard enter the waiting area. "What happened? Where's your mother?"

"They're doing some exams dad." Lorelai pulled away from Luke and sat up straight. "She came to my house this morning. We argued about what happened yesterday and all the sudden she's having difficulty breathing and her chest starts to ache. She was all pale and shaking and… I called an ambulance and they hooked her up on a monitor and some oxygen and took her to the hospital.. Luke and I followed them because they wouldn't let me ride in the ambulance with her. I called you on the way to the hospital."

"I can't believe this is happening again." Richard let himself drop in one of the chairs and rest his head in his hands."

"She's going to be okay dad. She's really strong, you know that."

He nodded, and then looked up. "It's all your fault Lorelai. She went to you to apologize. She asked me to take her there and I wanted to come with her but she didn't allowed me. She said she would call me when I had to pick her up again. She was doing perfectly fine when I dropped her off, and I'm sure you didn't just accept her apology. This is all your fault."

Lorelai's eyes filled with tears at her father's words. "Dad, I'm so sorry."

"You should be."

"I didn't meant for this to happen. I don't want to fight with her. I'm so sorry. I... I…" She couldn't talk anymore. She stood up and walked away.

Luke shook his head, trying to swallow away his anger. He failed. "It's not her fault Richard. You can't blame it on her. She was the one trying so hard to calm Emily down and she was the one that called an ambulance to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. You will not blame this on her, it's no-ones fault this happened. Understand?" His voice became louder with every word. "Understand?"

Richard looked up and shook his head. "I… I'm sorry it's just…"

"Tell that to Lorelai. I'm going after her and leave the baby here. He's asleep so he won't be any trouble. Just keep an eye on him."

Richard nodded and watched how Luke went after his wife.

Luke found Lorelai outside, her shoulders shaken by sobs. He had to swallow away the lump that appeared in his throat by the sight of that. He walked towards her and put his arms around her, pulling her in a tight embrace. He said nothing, he just held her.

After Lorelai calmed down a little she pulled away so she could look at Luke. "He's right you know."

Luke took her face between his hands "No Lorelai, he's not right. He's not."

"But he is. I caused this. From the second I saw her on our doorstep, I knew I wasn't going to give in. After last night… I just didn't want it anymore. I wanted them out of my life and thought that would be the perfect solution. I was wrong, I caused this." She turned her head away.

"Look at me." She hesitated but turned her head towards him again. "I've been there Lorelai and trust me, it's not helping anyone, not you and not your mother. And your father didn't meant what he said, he's just upset like you are."

"Can we go back inside? I don't want to be here when they have news about my mother."

"Of course. Let's go."

Hand in hand they walked back into the hospital and towards the Emergency Room's waiting area. They saw a doctor standing next to Richard. They quickened their pace. "Doctor? How's my mother?"

The doctor turned around. "I was just explaining to your father that your mother had a panic attack. It's common that if someone has been seriously injured, he or she is afraid that when it finally goes better, things will get worse again. That's most likely that happened to your mother. I can't promise this will never happen again, but we'll let her talk to someone about the accident. It's obvious your mother is a strong independent women who thinks she can handle anything herself and doesn't talk about her feelings."

"So, if I understand correctly she's afraid she'll get hurt again?"

"Yes."

"So it's not my fault?"

"You did everything you could to help your mother. The next time this happens you can help your mother by making her breath in a paperback. I know it may sound weird, but it will help her to calm down."

"A paper back?" Lorelai nodded, taking in the information the doctor told her. "I was arguing with my mother before this happened, can it be that it had anything to do with that?"

"That's not most likely. I assume this wasn't the first time you argued with your mother so it would have happened before. I think she was angry and her breathing quickened because of that and that's when she panicked. But this has nothing to do with you. It's definitely not your fault."

Lorelai nodded again, still not completely sure, but willing to believe the doctor. "Thank you."

"No problem. Your mother wants to see you now."

"Okay thanks." She turned to her father. "Do you want to go in first?"

"No, I have to talk to the doctor and sign the release forms, you go. And Lorelai, I'm really sorry for what happened earlier."

"I know dad."

Lorelai walked into Emily's room and when she saw her mother in the big white bed, the events from a few weeks ago came back to her. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind soon and walked closer to the bed. "Hey mom."

Emily opened her eyes and smiled. "Lorelai."

"I'm so sorry mom."

"Don't be. This is not your fault. The doctor said I had a panic attack."

"I know. You scared me mom." She pulled a chair towards her and sat down.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about what has happened Lorelai."

She knew her mother wasn't talking about the panic attack anymore. "I know mom, me too. I went to far."

"I understand, and you are right. After the accident, or actually even before, when we fought about your wedding day, I promised myself I would change. But recently I started to fall back into old patterns and yesterday, well you know how it was. And I'm sorry. I promised myself it would never be like that anymore between us. And I broke the promise to myself, but what hurt more was that I hurt you. I'm so sorry Lorelai."

"It's okay mom. I'm sorry too."

"You have no reason to be sorry. I've been awake the entire night last night and realized you were right. I'm proud of you for the way you raised Rory and for the way you're raising Lucan. You're an amazing mother Lorelai. I wonder how you learned it because you didn't got it from me."

"Mom."

"No, it's okay. I can't change what happened in the past, but I can change the future. I don't want to live with regrets. I don't want to wake up one day, realizing that I did everything wrong in my life."

"You didn't mom. You just never understood the choices I made in my life, you didn't understand that I wanted different things then you wanted."

"I had dreams too, just like you when I was younger. I let those dreams go when I married your father, but you and I are more alike then we both want to admit. And we both know it. The truth is I was jealous of you Lorelai. You are doing what I always hoped I would. You say what you think and do what you want to do. And that's the way you raised your daughter too."

"You do the same mom, you tell me how much you disapprove the choices I made." Lorelai smiled as she said that.

"That's different. You know how it was with your grandmother, I never fought against her, and I never told her what I thought even though she hurt me. And you tried to teach me the way you handled things, how you learned not to care. And I'm so proud of you for everything you did in your life Lorelai. When you were sixteen and got pregnant, I saw your entire life falling apart. But it was mine that fell apart, not yours. You learned to go on with your life and reach your goals or reset them if it was necessary. You did things I never did."

"And Rory does things I never did. That's the way it's supposed to be right? I want my kids to get more then I did and I'd lie if I say I was never jealous of Rory. I was jealous so many times when I saw that you two got along well, and I realized I could never have that. And I was jealous when she went to college. But then looked around to what I had and realized it wasn't bad at all. I'm happy with what I have. I have two amazing kids, an amazing husband and a great job. What else could I want?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't know."

"And what do you want to be different mom? You have dad who loves you a lot, you have your friends and you have your job. I know not everybody thinks of it as a job, but it is to you, and you love doing it. You survived a major car accident and you got the change to change the things you want different in your life. And you don't have to be afraid of relapse mom, because you can do anything you want. That's what you taught me as a kid."

"I did teach you that, didn't I?"

"Yes you did. I let all the bad memories push away the good ones, but there are good memories too mom. There are. And from now on, let's think about the good things and the future and leave the rest behind us? What do you think?"

"That's a perfect idea."  
"I thought so." Lorelai smiled.

"I'm glad you're finally bringing my granddaughter home." Emily suddenly remember where there fight was about. "And you're right to take Lucan with you. I regret that I didn't spent more time with you when you were a kid. I missed you, you know?"

"I missed you too. And I can't leave my son behind. The whole reason we're going on this trip is to bring our family together, and I can't do that without Lucan."

"No you can't, and you shouldn't."

Lorelai stood up and gave her mother a hug. "I love you mom."

"I love you too Lorelai."

The women pulled back and turned around to see Richard standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"A while, but I didn't want to intrude a nice mother/daughter moment."

They all smiled.

"Are you ready to go home Emily?"

"More then ever." She turned to Lorelai. "Come by next week before you go to London okay?"

"I will, I promise."

"Good. And you should bring Luke and Lucan with you."

"If Luke can leave the diner alone he'll come along, but Lucan will be there for sure."

"Good. See you then Lorelai."

"See you mom."

Lorelai walked into the waiting area and Luke stood up the moment he saw her.

"Let's go home hon, my mother is going to be just fine."

"I told you so."

"Yeah you did. And we're going to be fine together too. We had a really great talk, and I have a feeling that everything will really be different this time."

Luke smiled as he thought back to yesterday when she begged him not to let her think things could change anymore. _'Promise me Luke' _He knew he couldn't then and he couldn't do it now. He believed people could change. He knew he changed a lot the past few years. And he knew it was hard for a woman like Emily to change, but that didn't meant it wasn't possible.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy everything worked out okay." He moved to pick up Lucan's car seat, and then he took Lorelai's hand in his. "Let's go home." And that's what they did.


	36. Flight 226

_A/N: Another chapter. A little later then I was planning to but I'm very busy at the moment. Only one more week of school (two official) before summer vacation! Finally I may add, although it's hard to believe it will be over soon. Next year all I have are internships. Going to Norway for 5 months and stay in the Netherlands for the second five months but don't know where just yet. Well I do know but I'm trying to get rid of it and change it for something better. Long story, won't bother you with it when you have my chapter to read ;) Thanks LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading and thanks to those of you who read and reviewed the last chapter(s)! I love you all! _

**Chapter 36 flight 226 **

Luke handed their tickets to the flight attendant.

"Seat 26 a and b, that's this way sir." The women pointed towards an aisle.

"Thanks." They followed the aisle and it didn't take long before they reached their seats.

"24, 25, 26, here we are." Lorelai smiled. She was very excited about going to pick up Rory. She had no idea how her daughter would respond when they suddenly showed up in front of her, but she tried hard to keep it a secret, and succeeded. She had dressed Lucan in jeans and a t-shirt and of course he had his blue baseball cap on his head. "Can I have the window seat? Please?"

"Sure. He watched as Lorelai sat down with Lucan in her lap, and then reached above his head to put their luggage away. With a smile he sat down next to Lorelai. "You seem happy."

"I am, you have no idea how excited I am. It's been forever since I've been in one of these."

"An airplane? You went to Europe only 3 years ago."

"Yeah I know. We should definitely do this more often."

"I hope not. Enjoy this time because if it's up to me, we won't be in an airplane again any time soon."

"What we're staying in London now? I thought we were only staying a few days, but it can be fun. Rory can continue college there, and you can open a diner and I can open an inn."

"That's not what I meant." His voice sounded a little harsh.

"Well looks like someone's a little crabby."

"I'm not. It's just…. Never mind."

"No, what?"

"Nothing, really."

"I know you Luke, and something's up. Do you regret going on this trip, because the plane didn't leave yet. We still can get off this plane if you want to."

"No, there's nothing. Okay?"

"Fine, whatever." She turned her head and stared out of the window.

When everybody had taken their seats, a stewardess came to check if everybody had fastened their seatbelt. "Hello."

Lorelai turned around "Hey."

"Here's a seatbelt for your son." She showed Lorelai how to put it on.

"Thanks."

"There's a changing table in the lavatory and if you need to warm up a bottle or need anything else, just press this button," she pointed, "then someone will come to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

The woman nodded, then walked away to continue her job.

Soon the plane started to drive backwards, taxiing to the place for take-off. Lorelai, who had been staring out of the window for a while, turned towards Luke and saw how uncomfortable he looked. "You really don't like airplanes do you?"

He shook his head. "Definitely not."

She took his hand in hers. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

He gave her a slight smile. "Thanks."

"No problem. You should close your eyes and enjoy the feeling. Soon the plane will be in the right place and stop, then you will hear the engines going up and the plane will start driving faster and faster, you will be pushed back into your seat because of gravity and then, before you know, the front wheels will be loose, then the back wheels and we will be free."

"Uhuh, I will really enjoy that."

She smiled. "Yeah you will." Even though she knew he wouldn't. It didn't take long before the plane stopped. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, plus I'm sure they won't wait until I am completely ready anyway."

"Why not?" She squeezed his hand and put her other hand a little tighter around her son. The engines went louder and the plane started driving, faster and faster. She squeezed his hand tighter.

Luke smiled when he saw the look on her face. "Something tells me you're enjoying this just as much as I do."

"Who, me? I love this."

"Sure, I can see that." They felt how the plane got loose from the ground and Lucan started crying.

"Yeah well, we're not the only ones." She tried to sooth the baby, but it was kind of hard because of the seatbelt. She looked at Luke with panic in her eyes. "What do we do now?"

He easily lifted his other hand to the baby and put a finger in his mouth. The baby started sucking happily and stopped crying.

"How?"

"It takes the pressure of his ears. We can do it ourselves by swallowing, but he doesn't know that."

She turned to Luke in amazement. "I would have never thought of that."

"Yeah well…"

"How did you know?"

He looked at Lorelai and wondered how he could get himself out of it. In the diner he would go serve someone, at home he would check up on Lucan, but here he couldn't walk away. Plus, even if they were somewhere else, Lorelai wouldn't have dropped it anyway.

"Tell me Luke."

"I read this book okay about how to travel with babies. The book tells how baby's and kids experience the trip and it came with some tips."

"Mr. Danes read a book. I'm impressed."

"Hey I read sometimes."

"Sometimes, yes. The last time I saw you read a book was… mmmm… when was it…"

"Hey stop it. I read okay. You don't spend every single moment with me so you don't know if I read during the day and I do."

"Okay fine." Somehow she wanted to get angry but when she looked at the satisfied baby in her arms she smiled. "You should read more often. This really works."

Luke smiled proudly.

After 2 hours Lorelai started to get bored. "Luke?"

"Yeah?" He turned his attention away from the magazine he was reading.

"I'm bored."

"Well, read something, or watch the movie."

"I don't want to watch that movie. I've seen it once and I promised myself I would never have to see it again. And I don't feel like reading."

"Then try to sleep or something."

"I'm not tired. Can't we talk or something?"

"Sure, talk." He put his magazine away.

"No, you have to talk."

"About what?"

"I don't know, tell me a story."

"Oh I don't know Lorelai, you know I'm not good at that."

"You tell Lucan stories all the time. Why can't you tell me one?"

"Fine, what do you want me to tell you?"

"Don't know. You think of something."

"Lorelai." He sighed.

"Please Luke? Please?"

"Fine uhm… let me think."

"Oh yeah." She shifted happily in her seat.

"Do you mind sitting still?"

"I'll try."

Luke thought a little longer before he said, "I really can't do this. You tell me a story. You love to talk anyway."

"No, I want you to tell me a story. Tell me what it was like, when you were a kid. Have you ever been on vacation?"

"We went sometimes. But it was kind of hard to get away with my father's store and all. But my mother loved nature. When I was seven my father decided to buy the cabin. My mother had a drivers license, so if she wanted she could take us away, and sometimes he would come along."

"Did your dad teach you how to fish?"

He smiled. "No, my mother did. My father needed something to do. He couldn't sit still. When he was around the cabin, he usually worked. He brought wood and made furniture and fixed things around the place. He let me help him sometimes. When I turned six I got my own tools."

"Oh and Bert?"

"I got a little toolbox."

"So, a mini Bert?"

"Something like that. Anyway, while my father was working around the cabin, my mother took us swimming or fishing. And if we caught any fish, we ate them at night sometimes."

"You ate the poor fish?"

He shook his head. "Not all the time. We threw them back most of the time."

"It seems really nice, having a family vacation."

"Yeah, it was. But you had them too right?"

"Sure, my parents made me come visit their rich friends, where all I could do was sit on the chairs all day. Or they had a nice family vacation together and left me home with a nanny. And when I was older they sent me to summer camp."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Me too. Just promise me that the vacations with our kids will be like the once you had okay? It wasn't bad all the time, and I really liked summer camp, it's just… that I would rather spend a vacation with my family instead of without my kids you know? "

"Of course, I promise. And maybe, by the end of the summer, we can go to the cabin for a few days, the four of us, and if Rory's boyfriend is coming, he can come, too."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Tell me some more?"

"Uhm… about what?"

"Where did you go on vacation when you were older?"

Luke's smile faded. "We didn't. After my mother died we stopped going to the cabin."

"Oh, I'm sorry Luke, I…"

"It's okay. When I got 16, I wanted to go away for a weekend with some friends and my dad gave me the key to the cabin. We spent a few weekends there to remodel the place, paint the thing, fix some broken windows, and fix the furniture. After we were done we brought some girls to clean the place and we went there regularly during the summer. To fish, to swim. Just to have fun."

"That sounds nice. Maybe, if Lucan gets 16 and wants to go he can go to the cabin to, all by himself."

"We'll see."

"What about Liz?"

"What about her?"

"Didn't she want the cabin?"

"Nah, she liked it when we were kids but when she got older she got other interests. She started to hang out with the wrong guys and she got pregnant with Jess. My dad told me to take her with me sometimes, but she wouldn't come."

"Oh."

"I don't know if it was losing my mother while she was so young that turned Liz into that, or that she would have done the same if my mother had still been there. I guess it's stupid to ask myself that over and over. I just… I kind of blamed myself for letting her hang out with those guys and when she got pregnant… I felt like she completely threw her life away and I was to blame and I…."

"You what Luke?" She sounded a little harsh.

"Oh Lorelai, I didn't meant that. You've always been a great mother for Rory, no matter how young you were. Liz just isn't the right person for a kid. Especially not the way she was back then. Liz is the kind of person that smokes pot in front of her kid or gets completely drunk. You wouldn't smoke pot, and especially not in front of Rory. And there are many other stories I can tell, but I don't really want to get into it now. But trust me, there's a lot of difference between you and Liz."

She nodded, not completely convinced.

He turned to face her. "Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do, getting pregnant when you were 16, but it turned out okay for you. You found a job to support your daughter and you found a way to accomplish your dreams. Liz just kept looking for guys to support her. And now she has TJ and things are better, he's the first guy who's good for her. I may not completely like him, but it's obvious he loves my sister."

"He does. And things did turn out okay. I'd be lying if I'd say that I never wonder how it would have been like without Rory. But then I think, I wouldn't have had Rory! I mean…."

"I know. I know exactly what you mean."

Lorelai smiled and leaned in to kiss Luke. "It's weird you know, I've known you forever, we've been together for two years, we've been married for almost six months, and there still are so many things I don't know about you."

"And there are many things I don't know about you. But I like to think that it keeps things interesting."

"I think they do. But it's still weird."

"You already know the most important things, the rest you'll learn within time."

"You know the most important things about me, too." She smiled.

xxxxxx

"Lucan needs a clean diaper." Lorelai looked at her husband.

"Hand him to me, I'll do it." She nodded as he stood up to take the diaper bag. Lorelai handed him the baby and smiled as she saw her two men walk away.

Luke had to wait because the lavatory was occupied. A woman was standing in the line behind him.

"What a cute baby you have there."

"Uh thanks."

"How old is he?"

Luke wondered why people always had to ask you questions when you had a baby with you. "three and a half months."

"He really looks like you. You must be very proud."

Luke gave the woman a slight smile. "Thanks, that's what my wife says. But she also says he looks a little like his sister as a baby." He immediately cursed inwardly for saying that, knowing he would get another question about that. He looked at the locked lavatory door impatiently.

"You have a daughter too? How old is she?"

"Yeah." He took his change when the door to the lavatory opened and stepped inside. "I'm sorry, I would love to talk longer but my son needs a clean diaper." He didn't give the woman a change to reply. He locked the door behind him and sighed. "Stupid woman." He looked at the baby. "Why do people always do that when you're with me. Asking all those stupid questions. They think you're cute." The baby smiled as his father laid him down on the changing table. "You're not cute are you. Boys aren't cute. Little girls yes, but you don't say cute to a boy, not even when they are a baby." He smiled as he caught himself talking to Lucan again. "I like your big sister, you know that right?" Lucan smiled in response. "Yeah you do. People just don't understand. And your mommy totally knows how to deal with it, but she's been dealing with it for 21 years."

Luke took a diaper, having trouble to get around in the small area. "Your mommy is right you know. I tell you a lot more stories then I tell her. She's completely jealous you know."  
There was a knock on the door. "Luke?"

"Yeah?" And to the baby he whispered "See, your mother is jealous already."

"Is everything okay in there?"

"Fine. We're almost done."

"Kay."

Luke threw away the dirty diaper and put Lucan's jeans back on. Then he opened the door and saw Lorelai still waiting for him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to check if you were okay."

Luke noticed the lady from before was still standing there too. "Where's your daughter? You can't leave her alone right?"

Lorelai looked at Luke with questioning eyes.

"She's big enough to stay by herself."

"Oh. How old is she?"

Luke looked at Lorelai now, his eyes begging her to answer.

"She's 21. Actually she's not in this plane, but she's in London. We're on our way to pick her up."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, she's been in London for a year and now she finally comes home, but if you don't mind, we're going back to our seats. Lucan here will be hungry soon."

"Yeah… uh…. Sure…." The woman had no idea what to say anymore.

Luke was happy Lorelai solved the little issue with the woman. He knew he was acting ridicules for not answering the question himself. And so did Lorelai. She looked at her husband and wondered what was wrong. He wasn't ashamed of her was he? First the thing he said about his sister getting pregnant as a teenager and now this. They walked back to their seats in silence, both lost in their thoughts. When they sat down, Lorelai looked at her husband and shook her head.

"What?"

"Nothing." She kept staring.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Then stop staring."

She shook her head again.

"Lorelai." He kept his voice down, knowing they were in the middle of an airplane, surrounded by people. Not the best place to fight.

"Why Luke?"

He gave her a confused look. "Why what?"

"Why are you ashamed of me?"

"What?" His voice was soft now.

"I don't understand. I thought you accepted me for who I am and Rory for who she is. That you were okay with the both of us."

"I am, and you know that."

"Do I Luke?" She shook her head again.

"I don't know what's wrong, but trust me this has nothing to do with you or Rory or how old you were when you had her."

"Then what is it Luke, because I'm dying to know." Her tone was sarcastic.

Now it was his turn to shake his head. "You know how I hate people asking me questions, and they never really did, until Lucan came. For some crazy reason people seem to have to want to talk to you whenever they see a baby and ask you all kind of stupid questions."

"They are just interested."

"No, they're curious and they don't respect our privacy. It's non of their business how old our son is and if we have more kids."

"You're embarrassed Luke?"

"Absolutely not and you know that."

"You're giving me a complete different impression."

"I know and I'm sorry because it's not the way I mean it. You know I love you and that I love Rory. And I already told you that you did an amazing job raising Rory to who she is now. And I'm even proud of that."

"Normally when you're proud of something, you want to show it off. That's why people ask you questions when you have a baby with you. Not so much because they find it interesting, although they might do, but because they know people love to talk about their children. Do you love to talk about yours Luke?"

"Of course, but not with a stranger. I like to talk about them with you."

"But what about others Luke? I don't understand."

"That's who I am and you know that. You know that I don't like to talk to strangers."

"Then you found yourself a completely wrong job."

"No, that's different."

"No it's not. But lets forget about it because we're not going to solve this now and I don't want to fight in here."

"But you're angry at me."

"And from the way I see it, I have every reason to be."

He couldn't reply because he knew she was right. He kept silent and thought about what happened and the things he said. After almost 15 minutes he said: "I don't like the way they look."

"What?" Lorelai put down the magazine she was looking at. She had tried to read it but gave up when she realized she couldn't focus and started looking at the pictures.

"I don't like the way they look when I tell them."

"Tell them what?"

"How old Rory is. When I'm with Lucan and they ask me if I have more kids and I tell them we have Rory they will ask me how old she is. When I say she's 21 they give me a disapproving look and I don't like it."

She was confused now. "I don't understand."

"People seem to find it weird that we have a 21 year old daughter and a 3 month old son. I don't like the way they look because they disapprove our kids and us and I don't like it. That's why I rather don't tell them. Because I'm proud of my family Lorelai. I love the three of you so much and I don't want anyone to give us that kind of look. It reminds me of how many times you probably have gotten it when you tell someone Rory is your daughter, and I just don't like it. And I know she's not really my daughter but it feels like she is and I don't want either you or her get hurt for who you are."

Lorelai started to smile. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I don't know. I was embarrassed I guess."

"But why, because that's one of the sweetest things anyone ever said to me."

"Yeah well." He gave her an uncomfortable look.

"Don't do that Luke. You're the most amazing guy I've ever met. You love Rory like she's your own daughter and you will always protect her from everything. You do the same thing for me and you will do the same thing for Lucan for as much as you're not doing it already."

He gave her a smile. "You're amazing."

She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his lips, then she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe you married me."

"What? Why not?"

"You're way to good for me you know that? Every day I wake up in your arms I wonder why you fell in love with me."

"I wonder the same thing."

Lorelai closed her eyes. "I'm tired."

"Then get some sleep." He kissed her forehead.

"Only a few more hours before I see my daughter again." She murmured almost asleep already.

Luke smiled as he looked down at two of the most important people in his life. Only a few more hours and his family would finally be complete again.

_That's it for now. Next time you'll read about Rory's reaction when her mother, little brother and Luke show up in front of her dorm. Don't forget to review this chapter ;)_


	37. Surprise

_A/N: Sorry it took me over a week to update. School's almost over and all of you who are still in school know how busy you are at that point, and for those of you who are not anymore, try to remember those last few weeks. You have to learn test, you have to turn in all sorts of assignments, it really sucks :D Anyway, finally finished this chapter today and thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading so fast I was able to post it today as well. You rock girl! And thanks for all those reviews to the last chapter. You're all amazing!_

**Chapter 37 Surprise**

The cab stopped in front of the university. "Here we are."

"Wow, it's big." Lorelai looked out of the window impressed. "Look at it Luke."

"I see it." He smiled at the excitement in Lorelai's voice. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed money to the cab driver, adding a huge tip.

"Thank you sir." He stepped out of his car to help Luke and Lorelai out. Then he walked to the back to get their luggage.

Lorelai looked at the building, still amazed.

"It's smaller than Yale."

"I know, but it's different than I excepted it to be. This building is amazing and so big. How are we going to find Rory in here?"

"I assume they have a reception here somewhere. We'll find her, I promise."

"Here are your bags sir."

"Thanks."

"Sir, I overheard you and your wife talking. My son goes to this school. I know it's weird that the son of a simple cab driver goes to a university like this but he has a scholarship. I can call him for you so he can lead you to your daughter."

"Really? That would be great."

The man picked his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. In the main time Luke walked back to Lorelai who was still staring at the building, pointing out things to Lucan.

"The cab driver is calling his son. He's going to bring us to Rory. He goes to this school."

She nodded. "I heard." She kept starring at the building.

"What's up?"

"Huh?" She turned around to face him.

"What's up Lorelai? You're worried about something."

"No I'm not. I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"She's going to love it you know."

"Who?"

"Rory. She's going to be thrilled to see you standing on her doorstep. You know that right?"

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

The friendly cab driver put his phone in his pocket. "John will be here soon."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm happy I can be at help."

"I don't know if John knows your daughter… but I'm sure he knows the building she's living in."

"Her name is Rory." Lorelai told the man.

"Rory. That's a beautiful name. You don't hear that a lot."

"It's short for Lorelai. I named her after me but realized it would be confusing so I went with Rory."

"John's named after my grandfather. He was a very kind and generous man. He died before John was born but I know he would have loved him."

"I'm sure he would have."

"And your son, did you name him after yourself? His name is Lucan right? And yours is Luke?"

"We didn't named him after me. We just liked the name."

"That's what he thinks." Lorelai winked.

"It doesn't matter. Your son should be proud to carry your name."

"Thank you." Luke felt a little uncomfortable again and hoped John would arrive soon. After almost five minutes he finally did.

"Hey dad."

"Hello son. These are Luke and Lorelai and they are looking for their daughter Rory."

John shook the hand of both of them. "Rory Gilmore?"

"You know her?" Lorelai sounded surprised.

"I sure do. We're taking a few classes together. Very smart girl. She's in the library at the moment, but I can take you to her dorm room and ask her to go there without letting her know you're here. I assume she doesn't know? She hasn't mentioned anything."

"She doesn't. It's a surprise." Lorelai smiled. "So you know Rory. Maybe this school isn't as big as I think it was."

Luke shook his head and turned around to get their luggage. Lorelai placed Lucan in the stroller and both of them said goodbye to the cab driver.

"Enjoy your stay in London. And if you need any transport, this is my number." He handed them his card.

"Thank you. And once again, thanks for your help."

The man nodded and stepped into his cab.

"Let's go." John picked up one of the suitcases.

"You don't have to do that. I can handle it."

"No it's fine. I insist."

"Thanks." Luke appreciated the help. When Lorelai was packing their suitcases two days ago he couldn't convince her not to bring so much stuff. He tried to argue that they were only staying for five days, but she wouldn't hear about it. She argued back that they were traveling with a baby who needed a lot of clothes and she was a woman after all. After a while Luke realized that he was fighting a battle he could never win, so he just gave up.

After walking around for over ten minutes they entered a building. "This is Rory's building. Her dorm room is on the second floor. The elevator is this way. John led them towards the elevator and pressed the button. Then he took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Rory's number. She picked up after two rings. "Hello?"

"Hey Rory, it's John."

"Hey."

"Are you still in the library?"

"Yeah, I'm reading that book I was talking about, why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch. You've been there for a few hours now and I though you could use a break. You know, get something to eat."

"I don't know, I really want to finish this. We have to turn in that paper the day after tomorrow."

"You've almost finished it and it's the last thing you have to do. You can take a little break. I'm sure you could use a cup of coffee."

"Coffee huh, well sure, but half an hour, no longer."

"No problem. I meet you at your dorm?"

"Yeah, ok, I'll meet you there in five minutes. Susan's there, she'll let you in. Tell her you're waiting for me."

"I will. See you soon Rory." With that he hung up. "She'll be here within five minutes. She told us to wait in her room.

"Thanks." They stepped into the elevator that had arrived in between.

Rory put the books back on the shelves and put her notes in her bag. Then she walked out of the library and towards her dorm room. She was happy John called because it wasn't until then that she realized she was hungry. While walking towards her dorm she looked around, thinking that she was almost done here and would finally go home. She had mixed feelings about it.  
She missed her mother and Luke a lot, not even talking about her little brother. She knew he must have grown a lot since she had seen him last. But leaving this place would be hard too, because she really wouldn't come back here this time. Next year she's going back to Yale, which will be different, but not less fun. Warren had been accepted and would be going to Yale with her. She would see her friends again. She missed them all, even Paris. But she had friends in London too. Friends she most likely would never see again, unless she decided to go back there on vacation one day, or if they would come to visit her.

She sighed pushing the thoughts out off her mind. 'Let's not think about that just yet. Let's enjoy the last few days here and finish the paper. What comes next comes next.' She climbed the stairs to the second floor of her building and pulled her keys out of her pockets. She heard voices from inside the room as she put the key in the lock. She turned the key and opened the door. Shock was visible on her face when she saw who was inside her room. Her dorm room in London.

"Mom." She ran inside and let herself fall in the arms of her mother.

"Hey kiddo." She kissed Rory on the top of her head.

"What are you doing here?" Rory pulled away a little bit so she could see her mother's face.

"What, you're not happy to see me?"

"I am, I am happy. It's just… this was the last thing I expected to see when I walked in here. I was going to have lunch with John so I expected him here, and Susan of course, but not you and Luke. Oh my God Luke." She pulled away from her mother completely now and turned to hug Luke. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Luke smiled while holding Rory.

Rory pulled apart and looked around the room in search of Lucan. "Where's that little brother of mine?"

"He's with Susan. She's changing his diaper." At the same moment the door to Susan's room opened and she stepped out, holding a baby in her arms.

Rory took a few big steps towards the two of them and let Susan hand the baby to her. "Hey baby brother." She hugged him tight. "You got so big and so heavy. Mom really lets you eat a lot doesn't she? I missed you so much."

The baby started crying in response.

"You're holding him a little to tight sweetie."

"Oh sorry." Rory loosened the grip a little and the baby calmed down immediately. She held him a little further from her body so she could get a good look. "Wow. You really look like your dad don't you."

"He sure does." Lorelai went to stand next to her daughter.

"I can't believe you are here. How long have you been planning on doing so? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Believe it hon. Luke came up with the idea last week, when I asked him if we could go to his cabin for a few days. Have a little family vacation after all the work pressure of the last few weeks. We agreed to keep it a surprise so that's why we didn't tell you."

"We've been talking almost every day over the phone last week. You're never good at keeping secrets."

"I know." Lorelai smiled really proud.

John stood up. "Hey, I hate to interrupt but I'm leaving you alone now. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do and I have to work on my paper."

"Oh sure." Rory looked at him.

"Thanks for helping us John. We really appreciate it."

"No problem. I've always been very curious to meet you Mrs. Danes, from the first moment I met Rory. I knew that the mother of Rory had to be really special, and I was right."

Lorelai blushed. "Thanks."

John smiled. "See you all later." And with that he left.

"So, what's the story with this John guy?" Lorelai turned to face her daughter again.

"We have a few classes together and when I first came her we were assigned to write a paper together. That's when we became friends."

"You never mentioned him, not once."

"Yeah well, I have friends here you know."

"I figured… it's just, you seem really close."

"He's a good guy. He worked really hard to get into this school and he gets really good grades. He's going to be a great reporter one day. But how did you meet John?"

"We met his father. He drove us here from the airport and when we were outside the gate discussing how to find you he told us his son was in this school so he called him and that's how we found you. We didn't know the two of you knew each other until we met John."

"Yeah, his father is a cab driver." Rory smiled, still in disbelieve that they were here. "How long are you staying?"

"We're here to pick you up."

"But I still have to turn in a paper and…."

"Calm down, we're not here to take you home right now. We're going back with the same plane you're going home with. We wanted to see where you've been living for the past year."

"You like it so far?"

"It's different than I expected, the university I mean. I expected it to be, I don't know, smaller. I've already seen London when we were here during our backpacking trip through Europe."

"I'll give you a tour later. But did you say you came straight from the airport?"

"Yeah, I really wanted to see you."

"You must be worn out by now."

"A little, but overall I'm starved."

"I could've known. But so am I, so I guess we can go out and get some lunch. The school has a good cafeteria but we can also go somewhere else if you like? There are some good places to eat around here, or we can take the subway to the center of the town?"

"Cafeteria's fine. Maybe they can heat up a bottle for Lucan too, he will be hungry soon."

"I think so. Do you want to fresh up or put on some clean clothes before we leave?"

Lorelai looked at Luke who lifted his shoulders in return.

"Nah, let's eat first and take a shower later."

Both Luke and Rory smiled at Lorelai.

"What?"

"Nothing, let's go." Luke put the diaper bag in the stroller. "You can lay him down if you want."

"Can I hold him a little longer?"

"Sure, as long as you want."

The walk to the cafeteria was about ten minutes. The place was crowded with students. They went to stand in line.

"Won't Lucan get upset because it's so busy in here?" Rory looked at her mother questioning.

"Nah, he's used to it. He's at the diner all the time when the place is crowded. He even sleeps right through it."

Rory smiled. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, he definitely got that from Luke, you can set of a bomb next to him and he wouldn't notice."

"That's not true." Luke said indignant.

"When you're asleep you're asleep. Only Lucan can wake you up, and even then most of the time you just sleep through it."

"How about you? You don't wake up either once you're asleep."

"I do wake up when Lucan's awake."

"I guess that's the mother's instinct." Rory budged in. "But we're next."

Luke and Lorelai looked at each other and then at the Rory. They both shook their head and smiled. "I guess he has it from the both of us then?"

"Guess so."

"Good, now order."

"How may I help you?" The cafeteria lady politely asked.

"Can you heat up a bottle for my baby?"

"Sure. Unless you mean one of the college students and not a real baby."

"The bottle is for Rory here." She pulled her daughter towards her. "The baby prefers his bottles straight from the fridge. A nice cool beer."

Luke rolled his eyes and hissed "Lorelai!"

"What? You like your beer cold too right?"

"Give the lady the damn bottle. Lucan will be hungry soon and we don't want to keep him waiting."

"Fine." Lorelai handed the bottle to the woman. "It's for the baby, not for Rory."

The woman smiled. "I figured but it's good to know for sure. If you take a seat around here I'll take it to you when it's ready."

"I appreciate that." Then she ordered her food and Rory and Luke followed her example.

They found a table in the center of the cafeteria. They sat down with their plates in front of them. Lucan was still with Rory, and Luke had been carrying her plate. She put Lucan in her lap and tried to figure out how to eat while holding a baby. She was holding him with both her arms. She looked at her plate, then at her arms with her baby brother in it and back to her plate.

Both Luke and Lorelai laughed at the sight. "Need some help hon?"

"How do you do this?"

"Hand him over, you can hold him again when you're done."

"Thanks." She handed Lucan to their mother who placed him in her lap, putting one hand around him and used her other to eat.

"Oh…"

"You'll get used to it. When you were a baby I had no idea how to do those things either. I had never held a baby before in my life and suddenly I had the responsibility over you. I had to feed you, change diapers, and dress you. The nurses in the hospital helped me and taught me how to do things and by the time you and I could go home, I knew some things, but not everything, at all."

"But you learned?"

"You're still here right?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Don't worry. Once you're around him a little more often you get the hang of things. There are still situations that I don't know what to do."

"Really?"

"Of course, but that's not something you should worry about. That's why I'm the parent and you're the big sister. But enough about this, tell me how things have been going here lately."

"Things are great. It's almost over, I have to turn in one more paper and then it's done. I passed everything I did this year. I can hardly believe it's almost over and I'm going home, permanently."

"But that's a good thing right? You're not planning on staying here another year are you?" Lorelai was almost afraid to ask, even though she made it sound like a joke.

"Absolutely not. It was fun for a year, but I really want to go home now. I missed you and Luke and Lucan and my house and my bed and my friends. I couldn't stay here any longer even if I wanted too."

"You could if you wanted."

"You got me. I had a great year. I learned a lot and I think this experience changed me. But there comes an end to every good thing and I'm coming to that point. When I was walking towards my dorm earlier, I was thinking that it feels kind of mixed up. I really want to go home, but it's also going to be weird not to be around here anymore. I made friends here and I may never see them again. But I missed my friends in Stars Hallow and at Yale too and I really want to see them again. It's just…. weird."

"You might see them again. Warren's coming to Yale with you right? And the others may come to the states one time and pay you a visit, and maybe you come here again too. You never know how things go."

"I know, that's what I thought. But it's still a weird feeling."  
Then the cafeteria lady came to bring Lucan's bottle. She smiled when she saw the family sitting at the table. "Hey, here's the bottle."

"Thanks." Lorelai took the bottle from the woman.

"I don't want to be curious, but are the kids both yours?"

"Yeah." Lorelai glanced at Luke and knew what he was thinking. She gave him a slight smile.

"It's great that after raising your daughter you started all over again. There aren't a lot of people doing that. It must be hard to do it all over again now you're older."

Lorelai was surprised. This wasn't the kind of reaction she got before. "It's different, that's for sure, but I wouldn't say that it's really hard."

"And how is it for you?" She looked at Luke now.

"I uhm… uh…. well…"

"He's not my real father although he's been more like a father to me than my own father ever has. Luke was always there for me and my mother, they've been friends for years before they fell in love and got married."

"Oh I see…" The woman started to feel uncomfortable for asking all those questions. "I'm sorry for asking all those questions. It's just that as a cafeteria lady you never get to hear the stories behind the students. We hardly even know them by name. We see them almost every day for years but we just don't get a real connection. So when I see a family visiting one of those students I have to ask, even though I know I should keep out of it."

"It's okay. We don't mind. We get questions about our family all the time. I guess everybody has his or her own reason to ask."

"But it must be uncomfortable to have to answer questions all the time just because you don't have a common family."

"It's annoying sometimes, but we live in a town full of noisy people and after years you kind of get used to it. I have two kids and I'm proud of the both of them, even though people seem to find it hard to believe they are siblings."

"Well you have a lovely family and you have every reason to be proud. And if you look close you can see some resemblance between those two, although I think he looks more like his father and your daughter looks more like you."

Luke smiled inwardly, thinking it wasn't so bad to talk about your family. It wasn't until then he realized that what Lorelai said on the plane was right. He promised himself that he would tell her later, even though he knew he wouldn't stop hearing about it. Then he looked at Lucan who started crying. "Looks like he's waiting for that bottle."

Lorelai picked up the bottle from the table and put the nipple in her son's mouth.

"I better leave you alone. Your food is getting cold too."

"Thanks again for heating up the bottle."

"No problem."

"And you should ask the students if you want to know their names. I'm sure you can get some kind of connection with them if you try enough."

"I'll try."

After lunch they went back to Rory's dorm room. Lucan was asleep in the stroller so they put him aside. "Do you have much more work with that paper of yours?" Lorelai asked Rory while they all sat down.

"Not that much. I've been looking up some things in the library and I have to get back there to finish up, then I can come back her to type up the last chapters."

"Why don't you go back to the library, then Luke and I go to the hotel to shower and change clothes, then we can go out for dinner?"

"You're staying in a hotel?"

"Yeah, we got a room in a hotel not far from here. I'll leave you the address."

"You don't mind if I go work on my paper? I mean, I can put it off until tomorrow?"

"Of course you're not doing that. The faster you finish it the better right? You're not putting anything off. Plus, I really want to fresh up and take some rest, and I'm sure Luke feels the same."

"You better not sleep, I mean, with the jetlag it wouldn't be good. It's better to get in the new rhythm immediately."

"We'll try."

Both Luke and Lorelai stood up. Do you meet us at the hotel when you're done or you want to meet again here?"

"I'll come to the hotel, let's say around 7?"

"Sounds perfect."

In the hotel Lucan was still asleep in his stroller. Both Luke and Lorelai sat down on the bed. Lorelai looked around taking the whole room in. Then she let herself fall back on the bed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She sighed. "Just a little tired."

"Me too. I guess we'll go to bed early tonight and will be okay in the morning."

"Guess so……." She was silent for a while. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" He laid down next to her and rolled on his side so he could look at her.

"What about Lucan? We say that once we get some rest and won't get some sleep we'll get over the jetlag, but what about him? It took us over a week to get him to sleep through the night, and he will only be here for a few days."

"We'll keep feeding him at his usual times. There's a five-hour time difference so that means we have to feed him once during the night. It might be a problem to get him to sleep again because he's awake more lately but we'll see what happens."

"Maybe my mother was right. Taking a baby in an airplane is one thing, but taking him to a different time zone. I didn't think about it before." She put a hand over her face, which Luke pulled away. He lifted himself above her so he could see her in the eyes.

"Don't say that. You know we never could have left him alone and we don't have to be up early as long as we're here. We're going to be here until Sunday and we're going to enjoy this. If we're awake during the night because of Lucan we just sleep during the day when he sleeps."

"Sounds like a plan." She leaned in to kiss him. "So, do you want to shower first?"

"You can go, I prefer to lie here for a little while longer."

"I was actually hoping you would go first. I was thinking the same thing."

"Why don't we both stay here then? Rory won't be here until seven o'clock so there's enough time. We can lay down for a while and shower when we feel like it."

"Yeah you're right." She smiled. "Do you think Rory was happy we came?"

"Do you have to ask? You saw how she looked when she realized you were in her room."

"She was shocked. She was definitely not expecting to see us."

"She wasn't but she was definitely happy about it."

"Mmm" She put her head on Luke's shoulder. "Do you think that when it's most likely Lucan will be awake tonight, we can sleep for a while now?"

"I wouldn't have a problem with that. I thought we were tired the last few weeks because of work, but this…."

"But I'm glad we're here. You like London?"

"Haven't seen much of it but it seems busy."

"We'll see more later, now I just want to sleep."

"Then close your eyes." She did and he kissed her forehead before closing his own eyes, pulling Lorelai even closer to his body and soon they we're all asleep.

_A/N: That's it for now. I will be going on vacation next Sunday but I'll try to update at least one chapter before I leave. But don't be mad if it doesn't work out the way I planned! Anyway, don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter ;)_


	38. Strange talks

_A/N: I did it! I wrote a chapter before going on vacation. It took me long enough because my sister suddenly decided to move back home and I had to do all the painting ;) Nice way to start the summer vacation. Leaving tomorrow morning at 7 o clock (Dutch time) towards the airport. Flying to New York through Washington. Will be staying there for a week and travel to Canada then were we're going to visit some relatives.  
While I'm in New York I will definitely not update. Maybe I will when I'm with my relatives in Canada but it's not a promise. I will definitely take a pen and paper so I can write whenever I feel like it. __Thanks to those of you for reading and reviewing the last chapter and thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading, changing my weird phasing and making suggestions. I said it before and I say it again, you rock!_

**Chapter 38 (Strange) talks**

Lorelai woke up when she heard her son cry. She opened her eyes and looked around, trying to make out where she was. She looked around but couldn't make out anything. She wasn't at home. She blinked a few more times trying to wake herself up completely. She looked next to her and saw Luke deep asleep. Since Lucan was crying and Luke was still asleep she hurried to get the baby.

She stepped out of the bed and suddenly remembered where she was. In a hotel room in London, to pick up Rory. A big smiled appeared on her face while she walked towards the crib to pick up the baby. "Hey Lucan." She cheered while she picked up the little boy. "You have to be a little more quiet otherwise you're going to wake up you're daddy and you don't want that now do you?"

Lucan kept crying and Lorelai wondered what time it was. She looked at her watch and saw it was 4 o clock. "You must be hungry." She looked around the room and wondered how she could heat up a bottle. They brought a bottle heater but the power in England was different than in America so it didn't worked here. 'Think Lorelai, think.' It was four o' clock in the afternoon, Rory would be here in three hours for dinner. She looked at herself in the big mirror that was standing on top of the desk on the left side of the room and noticed, that her clothes were messed up from sleeping in them. "Hon, we can go downstairs and ask the people in the restaurant to heat up your bottle but I have to change first okay?"

Lorelai put one of her fingers in the baby's mouth in the hope he would stop crying for a little while. She looked through the room in search of her suitcase. She found it and kneeled down in front of it, opening it. She took out a pair of jeans and a clean shirt. She knew she had to lay the baby down otherwise she couldn't change. Carefully she laid him on the bed next to Luke and gave him his pacifier. It seemed to work so she changed quickly. By the time she was done Lucan had dropped the pacifier and started crying again. Lorelai picked up the baby and picked a bottle from the diaper back. She left the room turning around once more to see Luke still asleep. She smiled when she opened the door, stepped out and carefully closed the door behind her.

Lorelai walked into the dining room downstairs with a still crying Lucan in her arms. An elder couple gave her a disapproving look. Even though Lorelai saw this, she decided to ignore it.

"How may I help you?" A waiter approached her.

"I was wondering if you could heat up a bottle for my son."

"Of course." The man took the bottle from Lorelai. He looked around and saw a few people sitting in the area, all looking at Lorelai. "I can have it delivered to your room so you do not have to wait in here."

"That's okay, I can wait."

"It's no problem, really."

"I'll wait at the bar. Please, just heat up the bottle because my son here is hungry."

The man nodded and walked away. Lorelai followed him with her eyes and shook her head. The tone of his voice implied that she wasn't welcome here with Lucan. She would never approve this kind of behavior in her Inn, not even from Michel. She sat down on one of the stools and lifted the baby to her chest. "Please calm down a little, honey, the people don't like you crying and all." She tried to put the pacifier in his mouth again but he wouldn't take it this time. It only upset him more. She glanced at the older couple and saw the woman holding the man's hand as if she was trying to stop him from standing up. She shook her head in disbelieve.

She and Luke had discussed which hotel to take after he had told her that he had bought the plane tickets. They've been searching on the internet an entire evening and came to this one because it was close to the university, the price was reasonable and they had baby cribs. They expected it to be a hotel were people came with their children, but when they checked in they already realized that even though they offered cribs, they weren't too thrilled to have children in the hotel. At first she thought the concierge was just like Michel but now she started to believe everyone in this hotel was like him.

She kept staring at the people and saw how the man pulled his hand away from his wife's and stood up. She saw him coming towards her and instinctively pulled the baby even closer to her chest.

"Ma'am it's highly inappropriate to take a crying baby into a restaurant." Even though the look on the man's face was very angry, his voice was calm and stern.

"I'm sorry that my son is hungry and that he cries because of that. But he's only a baby so I can't tell him to stop crying. Plus, there is no bottle heaters in the room so I had to come here to ask if they could heat up his bottle."

"It's normal to take something like that with you when you go to a hotel."

"I did, but since the power voltage here is different than it is in America it won't work here."

"Then there's always the so called room service."

"I know that, but my husband is sleeping upstairs and I didn't want to disturb him."

"So you'd rather disturb every single guest in this hotel?" The man raised his voice now. "You should know that's highly inappropriate."

"I'm sorry sir but from the way I see it, you're disturbing the guests more with your screaming than my son here does. And if you don't want to be disturbed by kids, you might want to stay in your room. I'm sure the so called room service will serve you there without any kids disturbing you."

The man became even angrier. His face turned deep read and Lorelai couldn't help but think that it wouldn't take long before steam would be fuming with anger. "You….."

"Sir, if you just calm down. The bottle will be ready in a few minutes and my son will calm down as soon as I give it to him."

"Do not tell me what to do." He was standing right in front her now, screaming in her face. Lorelai started to feel scared and Lucan started crying harder and harder.

At this point a big hand pulled the man away from Lorelai. She was relieved to see it was Luke. "You okay?"

She nodded.

The man started screaming at Luke now. "Don't touch me."

"You better stay away from my wife or I'll do it again." He threatened and his voice showed the man that he was angry.

The man's wife started to walk to the small group now too and asked "What's going on?"

"These… these people.." The man stammered angrily.

Luke walked around the man and stood next to Lorelai now. "Your husband is screaming at my wife. I wonder why." He looked at Lorelai.

"Because Lucan's crying." Her voice was shivering even though she tried to hide it.

"What?" Luke's voice was soft as he looked Lorelai in the eyes.

"I came here because Lucan's hungry and we can't heat up a bottle for him upstairs. The second I walked in here with Lucan who was crying, they started giving me disapproving looks. I decided to ignore it and gave the bottle to the waiter who tried to push me out of the room but I didn't let him. So I sit down here and this man walks towards me and starts telling me how inappropriate it is to take a crying baby in a restaurant."

Luke shook his head. "Don't you have children?" He turned towards the woman.

"We have a 30 year old boy."

"And when he was little, he never cried when you took him somewhere or pulled a fight because he didn't want to do something you wanted him to do?"

"I…. We…."

"I thought so."

"I'm very sorry for my husbands reaction I…."

"You should be. From now on no matter how hard the baby is crying you make sure your husband leaves him and my wife alone. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." He crossed his arms and waited for the people to walk away.

While Luke did that the waiter came back with Lucan's bottle. He looked at the people giving each other angry stares and the upset baby in Lorelai's arms. "Here you go ma'am."

Luke took the bottle from his hands instead. "Thank you."

"Is something wrong sir?"

"Let's see. My wife looks upset, my son is upset and only because you can't do your job right."

"Excuse me sir?"

"First you tell my wife to wait somewhere else for the bottle so the people in this restaurant wouldn't be bothered by his crying."

"I did not say such a thing sir."

"Maybe not in those words, but I'm sure that's what you implied. Second, you don't pay any attention to what's happening in this restaurant. There was quite a scene here but it looks like you didn't even notice."

The waiter looked around and saw everybody starting at the people in front of him. "I'm sorry sir. I was preoccupied in the kitchen but I promise you it will not happen again. You, your wife and your baby are welcome to stay in this restaurant any time you want and I'm sorry if anything made you think otherwise."

Luke nodded. "Thank you." Then he put a hand on Lorelai's back and whispered. "Come on, let's feed the baby upstairs."

She stood up silently still holding the baby tight to her chest and they walked away without saying another word.

While they were standing in the elevator Lorelai finally let out a deep sigh and loosened the grip on the baby. "Wow."

"Yeah, you can say that again. What a complete jerk. How dare he talk to you like that. I woke up in our room and notice you and Lucan gone so I change my clothes, walk downstairs and see him standing right in front of you and hear him screaming at you. I was so mad. How dare he do that?" Luke's voice was raising.

"Honey calm down. It's okay now. We're going upstairs to our room and we will feed Lucan. We're going to take a shower and stay in our room until Rory comes to get us. We don't have to spend to much time downstairs with those people and I think you made it pretty clear to the guy to leave me and Lucan alone from now on."

"But…."

"It's okay. If you're going to be all upset now all you'll do is upset Lucan and I think he had enough downstairs. I want to enjoy the rest of this vacation and I don't want a jerk like that guy downstairs ruin it for us. This is our time with our family and he can't do anything to ruin it. Understand?"

Luke nodded. "You're right."

She gave him a smile and leaned in to kiss him. When the elevator stopped on their floor they pulled apart. She took his hand in hers and together they walked towards their room.

A little after seven there was a knock on the door. Luke stood up from the bed and turned off the TV. Then he opened the door. "Hey Rory."

"Hey Luke. How are you."

"Great, you?"

"Same."

"Come in, you're mom is still in the bathroom getting ready."

"I should have know. I tried to be late but I was really excited about seeing you and Lucan again so I had to leave."

"No problem. I'm sure she's ready soon." And a little louder he called. "Lorelai, hurry up. Rory's here."

"Coming soon." they heard her yell back.

Luke smiled. "So, how's that paper coming?"

"Pretty good. It's almost done. There's a small part left I have to write and have to read it over to see if there are any mistakes but then I can print it and turn it in. Should be done by tomorrow."

"That's great. You know how proud I am of you right?"

"I do, and thanks."

"You're welcome."

"How long has my mom been in the bathroom?"

"Almost an hour."

"You mind if I go check on her?"

"No, not at all. I didn't want to do it myself, 'cause then she'd think I'm rushing her. I think it's different when you do it."

"Good. I'll be right back."

"Take your time." Luke knew Rory wanted some time alone with her mother.

Rory stood up and knocked the bathroom door.

"I already said I'm almost ready."

"I know. Can I come in?"

"Rory, yeah sure, the door is unlocked."

Rory pushed the door open and stepped in. She saw her mother sitting on the toilet seat. She was wearing clothes but she had her hair in a towel and hadn't put any makeup on.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm almost ready, really."

"I can see that. You've picked out clothes so that's something but you're far from ready mom. What's going on?"

"Nothing, really. I swear."

"Okay, I know we haven't seen each other much lately, but I still know you and I know something's up. Talk to me." Rory sat down on the rim of the bathtub.

"I don't know really. It's just… I've been feeling kind of weird lately. I'm overreacting all the time, I'm emotional."

"How?"

"Like this afternoon. Lucan woke up and Luke was asleep on the bed so I took Lucan downstairs to the restaurant so they could heat up a bottle for him and this couple gives us a disapproving look because he's crying and while I wait for the waiter to bring me the bottle the old guy walks towards me and starts yelling at me how inappropriate it is for me to take a crying baby in a restaurant. First he's calm but when I defend Lucan he gets more mad and starts yelling and he walks closer and at some point I actually got scared."

"Seems logical. You were holding a baby and the guy was yelling at you and coming closer so you think he can actually hurt you or the baby. Everybody would have been scared. But what happened next?"

"Luke walked in and pulled the guy away from me and defended me. My voice was shivering while I explained to him what happened and after that I couldn't talk anymore until we were in the elevator." Lorelai hated to admit this.

"Like I said, that's totally logical. Don't worry about it mom."

"But I had to walk away. I got me and Lucan in a situation where we could actually get hurt. Who knows what would have happened if Luke hadn't come?"

"Do you think they guy would have hurt you for real?"

"I don't know, I don't think so but I got scared and that's wrong. I always thought I never get scared of anything, but I did. It's not me Rory, it's not."

"What happened, happened, mom. Don't worry about it too much. Let's get your hair done and put on some makeup so we can go out to eat? I'm sure you're hungry?"

"I am. It's just…."

"It's okay. I love you mom. You are the best mom anyone could wish for. And you will be just as great to Lucan as you were to me. I know that." Rory realized where her mother's fears and insecurities came from.

"How?"

"When I was little it was just you to raise me and you did great. I know you think you couldn't give me anything you wanted but you did. You gave me love, you gave me a home and you gave me anything I ever wanted. You made sure I got into Chilton so I could go to Harvard. And when I got into Harvard, Yale and Princeton you helped me choose what was best for me and supported my decision, even though it wasn't your first choice.  
You sacrificed a lot of things for me just so you could give me anything you wanted me to have and I know you're insecure now just because you don't have to do it alone anymore. You think you rely on Luke too much and that you need him to protect you all the time but that's not true mom. You're equal and you don't need him, but that doesn't mean it's not great to have someone you can depend on. But there's nothing new there mom. You already did that before you married him, before you started dating. He was around all the time and partially helped raising me. He fixed stuff around our house and he was the one that fed us most of the time. He was the one you went to when you had a problem or needed someone to talk to. Even though you weren't with him, he was with us. And you know that."

"I do but…"

"No listen."

"No Rory wait. I know what you're saying and that's all true, but I realized a few months ago that Luke and I are equal and we're in this together. And I love not having to do everything by myself and I know that sometimes it's hard but I'm working on it and we're getting there. Together."

"Then what is it mom?"

"I just don't feel like myself lately. Like yesterday in the airplane Luke went to change Lucan's diaper and he was gone for a while so I got up to look for him to see if everything was okay. When he came out of the lavatory this woman starts asking about our daughter. You. And she asked us why we left you alone so Luke replied that you could stay by yourself for a while so she asked how old you are. At that point Luke looked at me, his eyes begging me to answer. So I answer and I'm mad at him instantly. I kept asking him why he's ashamed of me. I totally overreacted and after 15 minutes or so he told me why he acted like that and it turned out to be really sweet."

"I can understand how it looked mom. Don't worry so much."

"It's just hard."

"Tell me why you're upset now. Why you're not fully dressed while you keep saying that you're almost ready?"

"I don't know. I was in the shower and my mind started to drift off and before I knew it I was sitting here, feeling like I should cry or something."

"Maybe it's just the jetlag that makes you feel this way."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"But you're tired mom. Sometimes when you're tired you overreact or you react differently than you normally would. But that's okay. Because we love you. And you shouldn't worry about anything of that. You're going to be fine."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"Because I know you mom. I've known you for all my live and I know you exactly. I know how you feel, I know what you think. I know you're a terrible liar. I know you're really bad at keeping secrets so I wonder how you could not tell me that you were coming here."

Lorelai smiled at that. "I know."

"See, that's the mom I know. I love it when you smile and when you're happy. I know that even though you want to appear strong on the outside, you're very insecure on the inside. But that's not necessary mom. You don't have to doubt yourself so much. You're an amazing woman and we love you for who you are. Good things and bad. We both know how much Luke loves you. You know how much I love you and Lucan loves you too mom. You know that. And like I said, he's very lucky to have you as his mother."

"He's lucky to have you as his sister too."

"Thanks. I really missed you mom."

"I missed you too babe."

"You should get your hair done and put some makeup on. Luke's waiting and I'm sure that by now he fell asleep."

"Oh! If he did we'll let him sleep and go out ourselves!"

"We can not do that mom."

"Why not? It will be easy. Sneak out and leave the baby with him. Then he can deal with the stupid people when Lucan cries because he's hungry and they…"

"Mom, shut up."

"Hey, you can't say that to your mother."

"Well you heard me. Shut up."

They both smiled and Lorelai pulled Rory close into a hug. "I'm glad you're finally coming home. I know you're really going to miss this place but like I said earlier, you might come back here again. Hopefully just not for a year."

"Never. I loved the past year but it was hard to be here all by myself. I'm pretty sure we're going to be apart more, especially once I'm a journalist and they send me somewhere to cover a story, but I'm not going away for a year anymore. It's just too hard. I miss you to much and I feel like I'm missing everything. Think about Lucan. If grandma hadn't gotten into that accident this would have been the first time I saw him. Can you believe that?"

"It's weird isn't it? Did he grow a lot since you saw him last?"

"Do you have to ask? He's so much bigger and heavier. He looks even more like Luke than he already did when I first saw him."

"I guess you don't really see it when you're around him every day."

"Guess not. It's weird isn't it?"

"Yeah it is. You know it feels like you grew too since I saw you last."

"What? I stopped growing when I was 16 or so."

"That's not what I meant. You're growing up. You're becoming a real adult now. You're not my little girl anymore."

"I will always be your little girl, mom. In your eyes I'll always be."

"That's a good thing right?"

"I don't know. Maybe…. yeah I guess it is."

Lorelai pulled Rory toward her for another hug when there was a knock on the door. "Everything okay in there?"

"We're fine thanks. You can come in if you want."

Luke opened the door and smiled when he saw his two girls together. Both of them had tears in their eyes.

"You sure you okay?"

Lorelai wiped the tears from her eyes and used her thumb to wiped Rory's tears away too. "We're more then fine."

"Good. I wanted to let you know the food's here."

"What?"

"I ordered room service. Burgers, fries, lot's of other junk food. I thought we could stay here and watch a movie or something. I had a feeling you weren't going to be ready anytime soon and I know how tired I am so you must be equally tired and I thought that you would enjoy a nice night on the bed, watching a movie, since we don't have a couch."

Lorelai stood up and walked towards Luke, putting both her arms around his waist. "You're amazing you know that. That's exactly what I wanted for tonight."

He kissed her. "I also asked a bellboy if he could go to the store and buy us a bottle heater so we don't have to go downstairs every time with a crying baby, waiting for them to heat up a bottle, especially since that cute boy of ours will wake up in the middle of the night, hungry. I'm pretty sure the restaurant is closed by then."

"Thanks. That's perfect."

There was a knock on the door "Room service"

"I'll better get that. You coming?"

"Yeah, we're coming."

Lorelai watched how Luke walked away and then turned around to face Rory. "Do you mind if we stay here, eat junk food and watch a movie?"

"Not at all. It's perfect. Just like the old days right?"

"Except now Luke's here."

"Not that old. Last summer before I left we had enough movie nights with Luke included."

"Yeah you're right. I missed that. It's fun to watch a movie with Luke, but not as much fun as watching one with you. But you can't tell him that."

"I heard you." Luke yelled from the living room.

"Great." Lorelai whispered. "Come on." She took Rory's hand in hers and pulled her up from the bathtub. She used her other hand to remove the towel from her head. "No use to that one anymore. My hair will be a mess if I don't do anything with it now but I'll see to that in the morning. Probably have to wash it again so I'm able to do anything with it, but if we don't go now Luke will be mad."

"What time is it anyway?"

Lorelai checked her watch. "Almost 8."

"We've been in here pretty long."

"Yeah we were. But I missed our alone time. I can tell Luke stuff but it's different to tell you ya know?"

"I know. It's same with Warren."

"Speaking of which, when do I finally get to meet him?"

"We can go out tomorrow night if you want? I know a few good places to eat around here and I'm sure Warren would love to meet you too."

"Sounds perfect, hon."

They walked towards the main room where Luke had spread out all the food on the bed. They sat down on the bed together, Luke on the left, Lorelai in the middle and Rory on the right. "You did perfect, ordering all this food."

"They asked how much people there were in this room when I ordered."

"That's the same question you asked when Rory and I came to eat at the diner the first time, remember?"

"You remember that? Back then you didn't even remembered my name."

"Did too. Just didn't felt like calling you by your real name, that's all."

"For two years?"

Lorelai just smiled as she picked up a burger and let herself fall back into the pillows while Luke used the remote to start the movie. "Which movie is this?" She had her mouth half full while she asked.

"Just watch and see."

"Oh my God." Rory exclaimed as soon as the movie started. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What, not good?" Luke looked at the girls, his eyes questioning.

"Know what you get yourself into hon, this movie is totally mockable."

About 15 minutes into the movie Luke started to heat up a bottle for Lucan and by the time it was warm enough the baby woke up. He sat down on the bed again and enjoyed how Lorelai and Rory were commenting every single event in the movie. He had missed that the past year. He knew they would react to the movie like this. When Lucan finished his bottle he kept holding him. He held him up a little so he could watch Lorelai and Rory. The little boy responded by laughing when he saw his mother and big sisters behavior. Luke smiled at this. This is what he knew Lorelai had wanted all year and what he had wanted all year. A perfect family, all together.

_A/N: That's it for now. Like I said I don't know when the next chapter will be up but the story __not over yet. I'm getting close but there are at least 2 more chapters I want to write and you never know if something else comes to mind. I will be home by August first so except an update from me the weekend after that date latest! And last, don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter!_


	39. Logical explanations

_A/N: Surprise ;) I wrote this chapter in the airplane 2 weeks ago. Can't believe it's that long already, time's going so fast when you're having fun! When I was in New York I could check my email only for a 30 minutes in the public library. Just enough time to email my parents how things were doing and the same with some friends but that was it. So from New York I traveled to family in Canada and there I have more internet time. I typed out the chapter and send it to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict who of course proofread. Thanks for that hon! _

**Chapter 39 Logical explanations **

It was 4 a.m. when Lucan woke up both Luke and Lorelai. While Luke stood up to heat up a bottle, Lorelai went to get the baby. They tried to work fast, not knowing how sound proof the walls were and not wanting to repeat the events of the previous day. Lorelai put Lucan on their bed and changed his diaper. While Luke was waiting for the bottle to get warm, he watched Lorelai. It took her a while before she noticed.

"What are you looking at?"

"You."

"Why?"

" 'Cause I like the view."

"Me, at four o'clock in the morning, changing a dirty diaper?"

"Yeah."

She shook her head. " Why?"

" 'Cause I like the view."

"Me, at four o'clock in the morning, changing a dirty diaper?" She asked him again in disbelieve.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Lorelai." Luke sighed.

"I don't get it, really. Why would you like that?"

"I like watching you no matter what time it is and what you are doing. Plus, you're most beautiful when you just woke up."

"So, then why do I spend hours in the bathroom getting ready whenever we go out, if you prefer me in my night clothes, my hair messed up, no make-up on?"

"Don't know, maybe because you don't want to go out like that and feel like you should be in the bathroom for what seems like forever?"

"Hey!" She turned around and hit him playfully on the chest.

"Hey." He cried.

"Isn't that bottle ready yet? Our son is hungry and I want to go back to sleep."

"I think so." He turned around and walked towards the bottle heater. He took out the bottle and checked the temperature. " It's perfect." He walked back to the bed and handed the bottle to Lorelai who had Lucan in her arms, sitting up against the headboard.

"Thanks." She put the nipple into the baby's mouth and he started sucking happily. They watched their son drinking in silence. When Lucan spit out a little bit of milk, Lorelai suddenly handed Luke the baby and ran towards the bathroom. First he thought it was to get a towel or something but soon her heard her throw up. He wanted to go after her but he had to keep feeding Lucan. He expected her to come back but she didn't. As soon as Lucan had finished his bottle and Luke had gotten him to burb, he laid him in his crib so he could check up on Lorelai.  
He found her sitting on the bathroom floor next to the toilet, tears running down her cheeks. He rushed towards her and sat down next to her on the floor. " What's wrong?"

"I…. Uhm…." It was hard for her to talk while she was crying, plus, she had no idea what to say anyway.

Luke noticed this and pulled her close. " It's okay," he whispered, stroking her hair while he kept holding her. After a while she calmed down and pulled away.

"Are you okay to go back to bed?"

"I think so."

Luke stood up and helped Lorelai up as well. Together they walked back towards the bed. While they were laying down, Lorelai laid her head on Luke's chest, looking up at him "Hi."

"Hi." He whiped a few hairs out of her face. "You ready to tell me what just happened?"

"Not really."

"Oh…"

"It's just… I've been feeling kind of weird the last few days you know."

"Like what?"

"Like…. I totally overreacted on the airplane the other day, over the Rory situation. And in the restaurant I was standing up for me and Lucan at first, but then I just got scared you know?"

"Maybe you're just a little tired. We've been working like crazy the past few weeks."

"I know. That's what Rory said. But I was thinking that maybe… and now I'm throwing up so…"

"Maybe what?" He was concerned and had no idea where she was talking about.

"Never mind." She turned her head away, which he softly turned back towards him.

"Talk to me Lorelai."

She shook her head as she whispered. "That maybe I'm pregnant again." She closed her eyes, afraid to see his reaction.

"What?" His voice was soft.

Opening her eyes again she said: "I was feeling like this when I was pregnant with Rory and Lucan. I know it's fast, Lucan's not even four months old yet."

"But we hardly, you know. And we were safe."

"Once is enough Luke, and I thought I was safe before and the result is asleep in the crib over there." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Luke."

"Don't be."

"But we never talked about this. We're having enough trouble taking care of one baby. Lucan will hardly be a year when the next one will be born, if I'm pregnant. We hardly have any time for each other now, how will it be if we have two little kids? Plus, after Lucan was born I promised myself that if there would ever be a next time, I would do it right. You know, plan it. And…"

At this point Luke put a finger on her lips to silence her, knowing she could ramble on forever. "It doesn't matter Lorelai. We will love this kid as much as the others and we will make it work, the five of us together. Maybe it will be a little difficult sometimes to have two small kids to take care of, but think of the benefits. When they are a little older, they can play together. They can grow up together. And even though we haven't planned this, I always thought we would get at least one more kid after Lucan."

"You did?"

"When you were pregnant with him, I thought about what it would be like for us as a family and I pictured you and Rory and two kids, a boy and a girl. But if this is a boy as well, that will be great too."

"That's amazing Luke. I didn't know you thought about stuff like that."

"You didn't? I always did Lorelai. Remember the dance marathon? When you asked me if I ever wanted kids and I said there would be a discussion if I met the right person?"

"Yeah."

"Even back then I knew that if I ever would have a kid, it had to be with you."

"Wow…. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. You're the right person for me Lorelai."

"You're the right person for me too."

"Good." He smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"So, we need to find out for sure. I mean, we're assuming I'm pregnant now, but we don't know that for sure."

"I'm sure they sell pregnancy tests here as well, we can always go to doctor Elder once we're back home, just to be sure."

"I like that." She smiled and yawned.

"Come on, let's get some sleep first." He lifted his arm so she could snuggle up close to him.

When Lorelai woke up again a few hours later she felt nauseous again. She ran towards the bathroom and it wasn't until she walked back to the bed that she noticed that Luke was gone. She looked into the crib and noticed Lucan still there, asleep. She wandered around the room in search for a note but she didn't find any. She decided to go back to bed but even before she lay down, she felt the nausea hitting again. She decided to stay in the bathroom and that's where Luke found her about fifteen minutes later.

"Hey, feeling sick again?"

"No, the shower is broken so I decided to wash my hair in the toilet." Sarcasm was obvious in her voice. "Where were you?"

"I went out to get breakfast and buy this." He handed her a paper bag.

Lorelai opened it curiously. "A pregnancy test."

"Thought we might as well get it over with. You know how it works?"

"If they are anything like the ones we have at home I'd say so." She opened the box and took the stick out. Then she took out the instructions and started reading.

"Why are you reading that if you say you know how it works?"

"Because I have to know for sure how long we have to wait and what kind of line we're expecting to see."

"Okay, and?"

"Five minutes and two pink lines for positive, one for negative."

"And positive means you're pregnant right?"

"I don't know, I just…. So now what?"

"Now I have to pee on the stick."

"Oh, did you hear Lucan, I think I better… you know..."

"Go, I'll tell you when I'm done."

Lorelai walked into the bedroom area a minute later, carrying the stick in her hand. Luke was sitting on the bed, waiting for her. She laid the stick on the desk and sat down next to him.

"So, now what?"

"Now we have to wait."

Luke checked his watch. "Five minutes, right?"

Lorelai nodded, sighing. " Five minutes and our lives could have change forever, again."

Luke responded by kissing her. They were interrupted by Lorelai's cell phone going off. She answered. "Hello?"

"Mom? I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, I've been up for a while and so is Luke. How are you doing?"

"Not perfect. It turns out that the meat we were eating in the cafeteria yesterday was two days old. I've been throwing up since around three o'clock and so are half the people in here. I just called to warn you that if you have the same symptoms, you might want to go to the pharmacy to get some stomach medicine for light food poisoning."

"Ok thanks."

"So have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Been throwing up?"

"Once or twice, yes."

"Sorry mom. I've been eating there all year and it never happened before, not once."

"It's okay kid. You think you're still able to finish that paper today?"

"Think so. I'll call you later to see how you're doing okay?"

"We might want to postpone that dinner date, depending on how we're feeling later today."

Luke checked his watch and stood up, walking towards the stick, distracting Lorelai.

"Mom? Okay?"

"Yeah fine. Later." She shut her phone and looked at Luke expectantly. " And?"

"Two lines for positive, one line for negative right?"

"Yeah, so what is it?"

"Negative, I'm sorry."

Her face turned sad instantly. "It's better this way right? We can wait a few months till Lucan's a little older. We can really plan it this time." She tried to be strong but her true feelings were easily revealed to Luke. He sat down next to her on the bed.

"I don't know. It would have been nice if it was positive."

"Maybe…" Her bottom lip started to quiver. "Yes."

He pulled her close to him. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai." He knew that even though she freaked out earlier, she was secretly thrilled. He knew he was.

"I really wanted this kid Luke." She stared sobbing. "I know that I freaked out first but I had a dream and I pictured her." She sobbed even harder now.

He pulled her even closer as he said, "Maybe the test is wrong. You do have the symptoms, like throwing up."

She shook her head. "No, it's light food poisoning." She let out a shaky breath. "Rory just called. They had two days old meat in the school cafeteria yesterday. Half her dorm has been up all night, throwing up."

"I'm so sorry. But we can try for real if you want. Plan it, just like you wanted."

"I don't want to talk about it now, Luke."

"That's okay." He held her as she silently cried against his chest. He wanted to say 'But how about the other symptoms?' He so badly wanted the test to be wrong. It hurt him to see Lorelai like this, as if she had lost something she never had. He knew his first impression about the other symptoms was probably right, tiredness. He felt how Lorelai calmed down against him and soon her breathing was even. He carefully laid her down on the bed, not wanting to wake her up. He checked his watch and withdrew five hours. It was still night in America so Lucan wouldn't wake up any time soon. He searched for a pen and a piece of paper and wrote Lorelai a note.

_Lorelai,_

_I went to the pharmacy to get you some medicine. Lucan is still asleep and since he thinks it's the middle of the night he shouldn't wake up any time soon. I hope you slept well and I'll be back soon._

_I Love you,_

_Luke_

When Luke came back half an hour later the bed was empty. He walked into the bathroom and was relieved to find out she was in the shower instead of on the bathroom floor. He wanted to walk away to give her some privacy when he heard her call his name.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?" He noticed her voice was still a little shaky.

"Did you shower before you left this morning?"

"No, I'll go whenever you're ready."

"Care to join me?"

"Sure." He took of his clothes and stepped into the shower behind her.

"Hi." She turned around and kissed him.

"Feeling a little better?"

"Yeah, still a little nauseous but I don't feel like I have to throw up any time soon. I will take some of that medicine you got me later though."

"That's not what I was talking about."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lorelai." He looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'm used to the idea now. Like I said, it's better this way anyway."

"You don't believe that."

"But I have to. I'm not pregnant, so be it. It sucks, yes. I would have been happy if the test was positive, yes. I expected it to be positive, yes. But why think about that now right?"

"Because you're sad, even though you don't want to admit it."

"It doesn't matter Luke. Yes I'm sad and I probably will be for the rest of the day, but it won't change anything now would it?"

"No, I guess not, unfortunately."

"We'll get another chance right? When the time is right."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know. A few months? When things slow down at work. So Lucan will actually be able to walk by the time the baby will be born so we don't have to carry around two kids all the time?"

"Sounds perfect. Just tell me whenever you feel ready and I'm with you."

"Thanks." She kissed his lips as she turned around to get the shampoo bottle. She took out some and started washing his hair. Then she handed him the bottle so he could do the same for her.

"Can I ask you one more thing about this?"

"Sure." Now they had a plan when she was ready to talk about it freely.

"You said you dreamed about it?"

"I did. I was laying in a big white hospital room, all by myself with a little baby girl in her arms. I think it was Rory, only I was the same age I'm now. I was thinking how lonely I felt when suddenly you walked in. You kissed me and the baby and you turned your head towards the door and Rory walked in, carrying Lucan. He looked just like you on that picture taken on your first birthday. They walked towards the bed and sat down as well. You sat on one side, and Rory and Lucan on the other side and we were all happy."

"Sounds like a great dream."

"It was." She kissed him.

"It will become true one day, you know."

"I know." She kissed him again and pulled back suddenly. "I'm sorry…." She stepped out of the shower and kneeled next to the toilet. Luke turned off the shower and took a towel, putting it around his waist. Then he took another one and put it around Lorelai's shoulders, kneeling down behind her. He held her hair up with one hand and stroked her back with his other.

"Ugh." Lorelai let herself fall into Luke's arms when she was done. I didn't think I had anything left in my stomach."

"Let's get you some clothes on and take a look at that medicine I got you."

She gave him a slight smile. "Can't get up, wanna sleep here."

"Come on." He crawled away from behind her and lifted her in his arms. He took another towel and carried her to the bed. He dried her off and walked to her suitcase to get some panties and a pair of sweatpants and to his own to get a flannel shirt. He kneeled down next to her on the bed and helped her in the panties and the pants. Then he pulled her up in sitting position and pulled one arm through the shirt. Then the other one and buttoned up the shirt. He pulled the sheets away and laid her down, covering her.

After she was dressed he walked towards the desk to get the medicine. He read the instructions and gave her the right amount. He kissed her forehead and watched how she snuggled up against her pillow. Then he walked back to his suitcase to dress himself. When he was done and looked back at Lorelai she was already fast asleep. He picked up a book and sat down at the desk, not wanting to wake her or Lucan up. He hoped she would feel better in the afternoon, because he knew how much she was looking forward to meeting Warren. Plus, they would only stay in London for a few days and he could think of something more fun to do than laying in the bed being sick all day. Suddenly he was happy he didn't eat red meat.

_A/N: That's it for now. Don't forget to let me know what you think! I wrote some stuff for the next chapter, but I'm not completely satisfied. I'm going home next Sunday, but because I have to go forward in time I won't be home until Monday. Don't know if I will post another chapter before that but let me surprise you ;)_


	40. Sightseeing, shopping and mee

_A/N: I'm back in the Netherlands and my jetlag is gone! New York and Canada where both great. Had a really good time here, but it's nice to be back home, even though it's only 4 weeks until I will be going to Norway, or not even 4 weeks anymore.  
From your reviews I understand you don't want me to end the story. I don't know how much I have left to write, but if you come up with some good suggestions than maybe I can find the right words and ideas to continue this a little while longer, if not I'll end it like planned and start writing a new story (this is not the end yet, in my opinion there are 2 chapters left not including this one) __Then, thanks to all of you who read and reviewed the last chapter and of course thanks to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict for proofreading. I know you're busy and find it amazing you always find some time to proofread for me as well. I said it once, and I will say it again, you're awesome! _

**Chapter 40 Sightseeing, shopping and meeting Warren **

That afternoon Lorelai woke up not feeling much better and after calling Rory who felt about the same, they decided it was better to postpone dinner until the next night, when they might actually like the taste of the food and they would be able to keep it in.  
They stayed in the hotel room all day. Lorelai was asleep most of the time and Luke took care of her and Lucan. At the times they were asleep he read a little or watched tv. He ordered room service around seven for himself and tried to convince Lorelai into eating something, but she refused, afraid of throwing up again.

The next morning Lorelai woke up around six. After being asleep most of the time the previous day, she was completely awake. She looked next to her and saw Luke staring at her. "Hey."

"Hey." He gave her a smile. "Feeling better?"

"Definitely. We can do all sorts of fun things today. You have to see the town. Tower Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey and of course the Big Ben."

"How about getting some more sleep first? It's only six o'clock."

"So? I've been asleep for an entire day, almost. I don't want to stay in bed any longer. We can go downstairs have some real English breakfast and go walking down the Themes. It will be romantic."

"You think your stomach can take that?"

"Walking? No problem."

"No, I mean food."

"You're talking about my stomach here hon. Isn't it a stupid question?"

"After yesterday?"

"I feel a lot better. No more nausea, I feel like I could eat a horse."

"But maybe you should start with something light to see how your stomach reacts, like oatmeal?"

"You just want to get me sick again, don't you?"

He smiled. "Okay, that's enough proof, you're totally fine."

"Told you so." She stepped out of the bed and started jumping up and down.

"Yep." Luke smiled. "Completely back to normal."

An hour later they were both showered and ready to leave. "We should be back here by one, that's the time Lucan will wake up so we can give him a bath and feed him."

"Sounds good. So down for breakfast first?" She looked at him, her eyes shining.

"Yeah, walk." He gave her a push towards the door and followed her with a sleeping Lucan in his stroller.

"Hey, was that necessary?"

"It wasn't. Sorry, now will you walk already?"

"Yeah yeah." Mocking she walked towards the elevator, a smiling, stroller pushing Luke not far behind her.

When they reached the restaurant, Lorelai suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"That guy from the other day…"

"Don't worry, you know what the waiter said, plus Lucan's asleep now." He looked at her and asked himself why she was still worried about that guy. The only person she really tried to avoid in her life was her mother, and not even anymore lately.

"I know that. I just don't want him to ruin today, or even a few more seconds of this vacation."

"I wouldn't let him."

"I know you wouldn't." She gave him a small kiss on his lips, which he surprisingly returned.

A waiter approached and led them towards a table not far from the guy and his wife. Lorelai saw him staring at them but wisely kept her mouth shut. Luke noticed it as well and took her hand in his.

"Can I get you something to drink?" The waiter handed them the menus.

"Coffee for me and I assume he wants tea." Luke nodded in response.

"Of course." The waiter walked away.

Luke stared at Lorelai in silence for a few minutes. He saw her staring at the guy occasionally and then turned her attention back to the menu, but he could tell she wasn't reading. "Lorelai, what's wrong?"

She looked up surprised. "What? Nothing."

"Don't say that. I know there is. You never avoid anyone in your life, besides maybe your mother. What's with this guy?" He kept his voice low so she was the only one that could hear him."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I just don't like him."

"Like so many people, but that doesn't stop you from talking to them or making fun of them."

"I know. I just really don't like this guy."

"But why?"

"Because Luke. Isn't it obvious? I don't understand why you like this guy all the sudden, as if you want to be friends or something."

"That's not true. I don't like him at all. When I saw him so close to you, yelling at you, the first thing I wanted to do was drag him away from you and punch him in the face."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't want to get myself in trouble. Especially not with you and the baby so close. I want Lucan to learn that violence is not the solution to your problems. That's what my dad taught me and he was right. I know Lucan is to young to remember or even to realize what's going on, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't start right now."

"You're really serious about this parenting thing aren't you?"

He suddenly felt uncomfortable and looked away.

"That's not the way I meant it to come out Luke. I know how worried you were about being a father but so far you're doing an amazing job. There's no guy who would've done what you did. Thinking about it twice because his kid was there. You never think about yourself first, but always about him, and Rory for that matter."

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?"

"Yes, but that's not how it usually goes."

They had to pause their conversation because the waiter came to bring their drinks and to take their orders.

When he was gone Luke asked: "I just… will it always stay this way? You saw what happened when we were busy. I know we talked about having another child but do you think I can be the same father for him or her as I am to Lucan? Plus, how will it be when they, and I, get older? Like when they are Jess' age. You know how I screwed up there."

"Luke, no! You can't seriously be saying that. We've talked about this when I was pregnant with Lucan. You know how Jess was when he came to you and you know how he is now. How many times do I have to tell you what an amazing job you did with him? I have to admit I never liked him and especially not for Rory, but what you did for him, that was really special Luke. Nobody else would have taken so much time or put so much effort into this."

"He's family."

"Exactly. And that means everything to you. Lucan will never be the way Jess was when he's 16 or 17 years old because he has people raising him. I like Liz, don't get me wrong, but she was no good mother for him. He didn't turned out completely messed up and lost for no reason Luke. And he got everything together because you gave him what he's been missing for all those years."

"You think?"

"I know. And I know there's a reason why Rory loves you so much and likes to think of you as her father. You where there for her Luke and you will be there for Lucan no matter how many kids we'll have and how old you are. Age doesn't matter. I used to think it did, but now we have Lucan I realized that it doesn't really, except that I know more now. I know that there's a difference between raising Rory and raising Lucan during these first few months but in the end I know that I keep in the good things and learn from the mistakes I made. And we will make more mistakes but it's the good things we will remember in the end."

"I like the sound of that." He squeezed her hand and looked next to him where the guy stood up and walked into their direction.

Lorelai felt her body tense up. She had no idea why the guy came, but she had a feeling it was nothing good.

"Hello." The guy started. Lorelai looked up, but said nothing. The guy didn't look at her, but turned his attention to Luke. "I want to offer you an apology."

"You're supposed to tell her that, not me."

He still refused to look at Lorelai. "I'm very sorry for the way I acted the other day. I know that I shouldn't have yelled at your wife like I did." He was talking as if Lorelai wasn't even there.

Lorelai felt herself getting angrier every second. She looked at Luke and knew he was feeling the same way. She looked inside the stroller next to her and saw her son sleeping peacefully. She thought of the words Luke used earlier and decided that she was better than the guy. "We're not accepting your apology. You're talking to my husband as if I'm not even here. You yelled at me because my son was crying, something I couldn't control at the moment because he was hungry. Maybe I would have accepted your apology if it was sincere, but it's not. So I prefer if you leave us alone now." She kept her voice calm.

The man looked at Lorelai with big eyes. Then he turned his attention back to Luke in the hope he would say something about his wife's behavior, but he didn't. Instead he said. "Didn't you hear what she said?"

"Excuse me? You're behavior is very inappropriate. You're very discourteous."

"Discourteous?" Lorelai became angry now. "You better just leave before I say something I will regret later."

The guy turned around and walked away, looking even angrier than the other day. When Luke and Lorelai watched him walk away, they both had to laugh. "Can you believe that?" Lorelai asked.

"He's absolutely crazy. Now I know why you wanted to avoid him." He had to laugh harder.

"So that discussion is over from now on?"

"Absolutely." They saw how the guy took his wife by the arm and pulled her out of the dining room. "Something tells me he won't be any trouble anymore." They watched how the guy walked towards the waiter and started yelling. They couldn't hear what he was saying, although they had a pretty good feeling. They saw how the waiter tried to calm him down but failed. In the end his wife pulled him away from the waiter as he looked about to punch him.

"I can't believe that guy has a kid." Luke said.

"Having a kid doesn't make you a father. Making a kid isn't hard, we both know that, but raising them, that's what makes you a parent. And something tells me he and his son don't have a good relationship, if they have any contact at all."

"I agree with that. And can you believe that someone can actually be worse than Taylor?"

"Figure that." Lorelai smiled at the thought of that. "I can see the two of them together, being each others best friend."

"We would move immediately."

"Glad we agree." She smiled and leaned over the table to kiss him. When they pulled apart the waiter was walking into their reaction, bringing their breakfast.

After they finished breakfast they went into town. It was almost 8 o clock so they had 5 hours until they had to be back in the hotel to feed Lucan. They bought one-day subway tickets so they could get through town easily.

First they went to the Big Ben and walked to Westminster Abbey from there. Then they went to the Tower Bridge and took a long walk down the Themes. After they were tired of walking they went to Piccadilly Circus to enjoy the artists and have an early lunch. They arrived back at the hotel just a few minutes before Lucan woke up. While Lorelai gave him a bath in the bathroom sink, Luke took care of the bottle.

After Lucan was back asleep in his stroller, Lorelai could convince Luke into going shopping. But not before calling Rory to see if she wanted to come with them. Rory picked up her phone after three rings. "Hello."

"Hey it's me."

"Hey mom."

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better. No more nausea, no more throwing up. I slept almost the entire day yesterday."

"Me too. How far are you with your paper?"

"I worked on it yesterday evening when I started to feel better. I went to the library this morning to print it and turned it in after that."

"So you're all free now?"

"Yep. So are we going out for dinner tonight? I asked Warren and he's very enthusiastic about the idea. He's was really disappointed that we had to cancel yesterday."

"We're looking forward to meet him too, so we're definitely going out tonight. But that's not why I was calling. I convinced Luke to go shopping and I wondered if you felt like coming?"

"That would be great. It's been forever since we went shopping. I think the last time we went shopping was for your wedding dress, and that's half a year ago."

"I know!"

"It will be so much fun. There are some great stores here, you're totally going to love it."

"That's what I thought and told Luke. He refused first but he can't deny me anything."

"Dirty."

Lorelai smiled. She missed her daughter a lot and was looking forward to finally go shopping with her again. "So, how fast can you be here?"

"15 minutes?"

"Sounds perfect. See you then."

The girls had a perfect time shopping. They bought a lot of clothes for themselves, some for Luke and some for Lucan although they didn't really like the baby fashion in England. Luke enjoyed watching the girls having fun but worried how they would take all the stuff home with them. Lorelai already over-packed her suitcase coming here and now they had even more stuff to bring back. He hoped he didn't have to empty his wallet, paying for the extra weight on the flight home. Watching Lorelai and Rory spending the afternoon shopping made him realize what she'd been missing the past year and he was glad the year was over and they would soon go home, together.

Rory left them at the hotel around five and promised to be back with Warren at seven so they could go out for dinner.

Lorelai stood in front of the mirror looking at the sixth outfit she tried on since she had come out of the shower. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful." Luke didn't even look up from the soccer game he was watching.

"Luke, you're not even looking at me. This is important."

He looked up for two seconds and said. "You look beautiful."

"Ugh." Lorelai took the clothes of and started digging through the pile of clothes that was laying on the floor now.

Luke looked up again, amused. "What was wrong with the other six outfits?"

"Like you would understand that." She sounded irritated.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"Why aren't you? All you've been doing is sitting there on that bed watching some weird ball game."

"It's soccer."

"I don't care what it's called, why don't you help me?"

"How do you normally pick an outfit?"

"I call Rory, but I can't do that now because then she'll know that I'm nervous."

"It's no shame to be. But here, let me help you." He stood up from the bed and walked towards the clothes. He took out a little over knee length light blue dress and a matching vest she bought earlier today, together with matching shoes.

"Wow, you're good." Lorelai smiled and leaned in to kiss him. When she started separating his lips with her tongue, he pulled away.

"You have to get ready, otherwise Rory will be here and you're still in the bathroom putting on make-up and doing your hair."

"You're no fun." She pouted.

A little before seven they were all ready. Luke was wearing a suit with a dark blue shirt, Lorelai the outfit Luke picked out for her earlier, her hair loose and curly, and she changed Lucan into dark blue jeans and a red long sleeved shirt. Lorelai was even more nervous now than before. She knew Warren meant a lot to Rory and they were pretty serious since he decided to come to America with her for a year, and the main reason was probably not to study at Yale.

She remembered how it went when she first met Dean. She tried hard to make a good first impression and to make Rory happy although it turned out to be the opposite. This was the boy her daughter had been dating for months and she never saw him. And now it finally happened and she wanted to make a good first impression.

Lorelai paced the room nervously and when there finally was a knock on the door she felt her heart beating in her throat. Luke walked towards her, placed a kiss on her lips and whispered "You're going to do just fine. Relax. It's going to be perfect." Then he walked away to open the door.

On the other side of the door Rory was standing next to a tall, dark-haired boy, with clear blue eyes. He had a big smile on his face as he stepped forward to shake Luke's hand. "You must be Luke. I'm Warren. Rory told me a lot about you."

"Nice meeting you Warren." Luke stepped aside to let the couple in.

Lorelai was still standing in the same place as she watched Warren and Rory walk in. She looked at him thinking he looked different than she expected, but he seemed a great match for Rory. She saw the big smile on her daughter's face and knew exactly what she was feeling at the moment. She took a step forward and shook Warren's hand. "Hi, I'm Lorelai."

"I'm Warren, but I assume you already knew that."

"Rory told me a lot about you. It's like I already know you, although you're a lot taller than you looked in the pictures."

"Well you look exactly the way Rory described you. You must be very proud to have a daughter like her."

"I definitely am."

Then Warren took a few steps towards the stroller and looked inside. "I just had to meet Rory's little brother. It's all she could talk about the last few weeks. That little fellow made some impression."

Both Luke and Lorelai smiled, happy to hear that.

"He really looks like you sir. It must be special to have a daughter that looks just like her mother and a son who looks just like his father. Like a perfect family."

Lorelai's smile went even bigger, the events of the previous day completely forgotten now. "It definitely is, thank you."

Warren nodded. "Shall we go? I know Rory must be very hungry right now, and from what I've heard about you I know there will be not much difference."

Now it was Luke's turn to give Warren a big smile. "You've got them both figured out already."

Lorelai put her jacket on, ignoring Luke's comment and covered Lucan with a blanket. Then she put one arm around her daughter and walked away pushing the stroller forward, not waiting for Luke or Warren.

"He's quite a charmer, isn't he?" Lorelai whispered.

"That's one of the things that's great about him. He remembers all the details you tell him. He never overdoes his comments and knows to say the perfect things. He always listens to you and never comes with unasked advice. He's serious about everything he does, he's funny, he loves reading…"

"Talking about me?" Warren and Luke caught up with the women.

"Honestly, yes. You're fun to talk about." Rory turned around and gave him a kiss.

"Well thank you." He smiled. "I assume we're taking the lift?"

"Not easy to walk the stairs when you have a stroller with you."

"Of course, stupid question. I'm not used to be around little kids. I only have big brothers, but they're not close to getting kids. All in college and have not much eye for anything serious."

"So you're different from your brothers?"

"My mother always says I'm the hope of the family."

Lorelai smiled. "If Lucan is only half as serious about school as Rory is, we have nothing to be worried about."

"How about yourself. Did you or Luke attend college?"

"Luke never did. I started community college when Rory was twelve, thirteen years old."

They stepped in the elevator and pressed the button to the first floor.

"Rory told me you own an Inn back where you live. It must be great to run a business of your own."

"It was my dream for a long time and when the time was right, me and my friend Sookie bought the place and opened the Inn. Before that I was the manager of another Inn. The Inn had to close after a fire and when the property we had in mind got suddenly available because the owner passed away, we took our change. It's hard work, but definitely a dream come true."

"And you own a diner?" He looked at Luke.

"I've had it for a very long time. My father used to own the place. It was a hardware store at the time. When he passed away he turned the place over to me. I had nothing with the hardware business so I turned it into a diner, because I knew how to cook."

"Luke serves the best coffee and burgers in the world. I can't wait to be back home so I can taste it again."

"I definitely have to try. Rory's been talking about your food from the first moment I met her." He put an arm around Rory and pulled her close.

When the elevator stopped at the first floor they all stepped out. They were laughing and talking. They asked the receptionist to call a cab to take them to town so they could have dinner.

That night Luke and Lorelai arrived back at the hotel late. They decided to stay up until Lucan woke up, knowing that wouldn't take too long. They changed into their night clothes and sat on the bed together.

"So, what do you think?" Luke was very curious to hear Lorelai's thoughts about Warren.

"It went really well didn't it? Much better than I expected."  
Luke smiled. "I t…"

"Don't say I told you so." She tickled him.

"Hey stop." He tried to push her away. After a minute or so he managed to roll on top of her and held her hands above her head. "So, now what did you want?"

"Okay, okay say it."

"I told you so." He smirked.

"You're so proud now aren't you. You wanna hear it? You were right Luke. It was great. Warren is a great guy, he really cares about Rory and it's obvious she cares about him as well. I'm glad he's coming to America because otherwise she might have staid here."

He let go of her hands immediately and rolled to his side, looking in her eyes. "You know that's not true. She's really happy about coming home. The past year has been great for her, but it was very hard for her, as well. She missed you just as much as you missed her and she really wants to come home."

"I really want her to come home."

"I know you do."

"What will happen after next year Luke? He's going to be in America for a year only, but what will happen after that? Will he stay, will she leave again?"

"Don't think about it. All that matters is that we're all going home, together. At this moment it doesn't matter what will happen afterwards, plus it's something that only time will tell. We don't even know if they will still be together after a year, but that doesn't matter right now, so promise me not to think about it."

"But…"

"Promise me Lorelai."

She looked in his eyes and saw faith. "I promise."

"Good." He leaned in to kiss her. Just as the kiss grew more passionate Lucan started crying.

"I guess that has to wait a little while long."

Luke smiled as he stood up to get Lucan and the bottle which they already put in the bottle heater when they got home. He stepped back into bed with Lorelai and put him in his arm and put his other arm around Lorelai who leaned her head against her shoulder.

"I had a really great day Luke."

"Me too. London is a big city."

"You like it?"

"For a few days, yes. But I could never live in a city. Stars Hallow might be annoying sometimes with all those noisy people and Taylor, but I don't know if I could ever live somewhere else. I grew up there and everything that means something to me is there as well."

"I'm glad you say that, because I wouldn't live anywhere else as well. I know I was 16 when I started living there, but I think it's safe to say that I grew up there as well. Rory grew up there and I want Lucan to grow up there also, and all our other children when the time comes. The diner's there, the Inn's there. We met there, we got married there. There are just too many memories. I could never leave it. I know that sometimes you have to move on. Like when Sookie and I bought the Dragonfly and left the Independence Inn. I know that if we want more kids we might have to move, unless we add to the house but there are just some things I never want to move on from, you know."

"I do. And I'm glad we're on the same page here. And as for the house, we'll talk about it. We can see if there are any places available that we both like and if not, we'll just add on to the house."

"Let's discuss that when we get home, when everything is back to normal. We have to ask Rory how she feels about it because it's her house as well. I know that she won't be living there much longer, but it will always be her house so she has a say in it, doesn't she?"

"She has."

"Good."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Some more sightseeing? There are some things left I definitely want to show you. We can ask Warren and Rory to come but they might want to hang out with their friends because she's almost going home."

"We'll call her tomorrow and ask. Let's get some sleep first, when this little guy is done drinking."

"Yeah. Sounds like a good plan."


	41. Time to say goodbye

_A/N: I know it's been a while since I updated but both it's a crazy time so close to going back to school, although I have to go to school only 2 days, then have one day off and go to Norway, leaving September 1st. It's coming closer now and that's both exciting and scary, but in the end, I will havea great time there. I'll take my laptop with me so I'll keep writing. I haven't decided yet if I will end this story after this chapter by writing an epilogue or continue. I guess it depends on the idea's I get when writing my new chapter. From the reviews you sent me on the last chapter, which of course I want to thank you all for, I saw that a lot of you want me to continue this story, and it's great to hear that! It feels great to know how much you love my story, there are almost no words to explain.  
Then LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict, thanks again for proofreading and your amazing feedback on this chapter! But, I think I said enough and all you want to read is the chapter, instead of my rambling, so end this note now, but not before I say, don't forget to let me know how you feel about this chapter! _

**Chapter 41 Time to say goodbye **

Rory and Warren walked towards the university after walking Luke and Lorelai back to the hotel. "Your parents are really great."

"You think?"

"Absolutely. You really look like your mom, even more than you described."

"Well, it was just me and my mom for a long time. She met Luke when I was twelve, but they didn't start dating until eight years later."

"Why did it take them so long to get together?" They had talked about this many times but Warren loved the story. His mother died when he was ten and his father remarried a year later. He never liked his stepmother and she didn't like him. She convinced his father into sending him to boarding school a few weeks after the wedding. The only thing his father did for him was to support him financially. He was paying for college and he would pay for Yale next year. He didn't even care that Warren was leaving for a year.

"You already know that story." She too knew how much Warren loved to talk about it, so she told him anyway. "They were secretly in love with each other all those years, but they were both afraid to admit it. It wasn't until the test run of the Dragonfly that Luke kissed my mom and their relationship developed."

Warren smiled. "Thanks for telling me again. It's just that…. the relationship you have with Luke is like he's your real dad you know? I don't have that with my dad, and definitely not with my step-mom."

"I know. It feels like he's my real father. I know Chris is my father but all he ever did was hurting me and my mom. He showed up when he felt like seeing us, but never when we wanted him or needed him. And when he promised to visit me or to call me, more than half the times he just didn't. With Luke it's different. He never had to take care of, care for me, but he did. That's just who he is."

"He seems like a really good guy. Lucan's lucky to have a father like him. I wish I had."

Rory squeezed his hand. She felt sorry for him. Sometimes she thought his father was even worse than Chris, although it was hard to compare them. She was lucky she had her mom, and Luke. He lost his mom when he was so young. "Tell me about your mother."

Warren smiled. He loved talking about his mother. He told Rory about her many times but they both loved talking about her. "My mum was an amazing woman. She was the sweetest woman I've ever met. She was a writer, and very successful too, but she stopped writing when I was born and didn't get back to it until I went to kindergarten. She picked up her career but made sure she was home when I was. And she stopped writing novels and started writing children's books. She read them to me before she got them to a publisher. And she didn't even publish them all. I was the main character in almost all her books. And she loved singing. She taught me all the songs she knew. And dancing. She loved dancing. She was beautiful."

Rory knew this. He showed her pictures of her. "She had beautiful blond hair and perfect blue eyes. I miss her, you know."

"I do. I wish I could have met her."

"She would have loved you."

Rory smiled and squeezed his hand again. They reached her dorm room. "Do you want to come upstairs or do you want to go to your own room?"

"I'd like to come upstairs, if you don't mind."

"Absolutely not."

They walked upstairs. Rory's roommate was out so they had the place to themselves.

"So tonight went really well didn't it?" Warren asked while he took two sodas out of the fridge.

"Yeah. They really seemed to like you."

"I really liked them, too."

"You already said that."

"Well, it's true."

Rory smiled. "So, what are we going to do tomorrow?"

"Whatever you want. We can always spend some more time with your parents. But if you want to hang out with John and the others it's fine by me, too. It's your last day here; you get to say what we're doing."

"But you won't be here much longer."

"Only a few days. I have to go home to get my stuff."

"You sure you don't want to spend the summer with your dad?"

"How many times have we talked about this?

"Mmm…" Rory smiled. "ten maybe? Or was it twenty?"

"You've met him once Rory and it was like we were visiting strangers. I wanted him to get to know you but you saw how he reacted. When my mum was still alive, he was different. Sonia changed him into what he is now. I spent much more time with my mum, because he was always working, but he took me out every Sunday afternoon. After my mum died that stopped and when he met and married Sonia, he started pushing me away. He said I was jealous and that I thought he was replacing my mum, but he never listened to me. That woman hates me, she did from the first moment she met me. She was the jealous one, that's why she sent me away to boarding school. And you know what, it's the best thing she ever did. I had a lot of good friends there and even though it was hard sometimes, I learned a lot. It was a good school and it helped me to become who I am now."

"You did it all by yourself. You're really smart and that's what took you here and takes you to Yale."

"It was my dream to go to a school like that. I always wanted to go to America. My mum's grandfather lived in America. He went to college there. When I was eight my mum took me there and showed me where he lived and where he went to school and ever since I dreamed about going there. The huge campus made such an impression on me. It's the first time my mum saw it too, but she knew the place in her heart from the pictures her grandfather showed her and the stories he told her."

Rory smiled. "Too bad you're not going to the same college he went."

"No. It doesn't matter. My mum loved everything that had to do with history and heritage. She could talk for hours about her ancestors and how they came to England and made a living for themselves. I loved those stories but I don't have to follow their path. That trip made me want to go to America, but I never had to go to that specific university. It's most likely that if I hadn't met you, I would have never gone to America in the first place. Yale is going to be amazing and if it's going to be like I expect it to be, I never have to go back here. I don't have a family I have to go back for, like you have. I have friends I will miss when I'm in America, but they can always come to visit us, and we can come back here to visit them."

"You know, my mom's worried about that. You should tell her this."

"Did she tell you that?

"No, but I know her. You remember when my grandmother got into that accident, we were already dating for two months? I didn't tell my mom about you because I knew she would freak out. It wasn't because of you because I wanted to share that with her, but I didn't want her to think that I wouldn't come home. If it's possible, she missed me even more than I missed her. I was here and made new friends and followed my dream, while she stayed behind and had to learn to be without me. Of course she had Luke, but the first few months were really hard on her. She was pregnant and I wasn't there to share it with her. It's kind of hard to explain, but we used to share everything you know? She's not only my mother but also my best friend."

"I know. And I understand. I have to admit I was hurt at first, but we've talked about this. You explained it. We're good."

Rory leaned in to kiss him. "Good."

"We better get some sleep, unless you want to discuss what you've got in mind for tomorrow?"

"I haven't really thought about it yet. It's hard because I really want to spend time with my mom. She came here to pick me up, but hanging out with our friends sounds like a good idea as well, because who knows if I will ever see them again."

"Let's get some sleep first, then we can decide what to do tomorrow morning. I'm sure we can do both."

"You think?"

"Absolutely."

Warren woke up early while Rory was still asleep. This was usually the case. He woke up before her and watched her sleep until she finally woke up. Today however, he had a plan. He stepped out of bed, carefully not to wake Rory. He smiled as he left her bedroom and walked into the living room.

Susan was already awake and smiled to John. "You're up early."

"I always am, although you don't see it very often."

"Oh, I see."

"Normally I stay in bed until Rory wakes up, but I want to surprise her today. Tonight I want to give her a goodbye party. We can invite all her friends and her parents but I need to get her out of the way today so she won't notice anything."

"Great idea. Can I help?"

"That would be great. I'll call her mum to inform her and ask her to take Rory for the day."

"Good, then I start making a list of everybody we want to invite."

"Sounds like a great plan. Thanks." They were whispering during their conversation, afraid that Rory would hear them. "I'll go outside to make the phone call." He searched the room and was happy to find Rory's cell on the table. He searched for Lorelai's number and wrote it down on a paper. Then he picked up his own phone and stepped into the hallway.

Luke and Lorelai were having breakfast when her cell phone went off. "Who can that be?"

"I don't know, but you better step outside."

"You can't tell me to do that now; we're not in your diner."

"Everybody's looking at you."

"Fine, I'll go." She stood up and walked towards the lobby. There she answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Lorelai, this is Warren. I'm sorry for calling this early but…"

"Is everything okay?" She didn't expect a phone call from him this early and was immediately worried.

"Don't worry, everything's fine. Rory and I talked about what she wanted to do today but had trouble deciding because she wants to see you and Luke, but also wants to spend some time with her friends."

"She doesn't have to spend time with us. We understand she wants to see her friends once more because who knows when she'll see them again, if ever."

"That's not why I was calling. I'm planning on throwing her a surprise party tonight so all her friends can say goodbye and you can meet them. I'm sure you would like to know who she spent her time with over the past year."

"That's a great plan. She'll love it."

"Thanks. Now, I was wondering if you can invite her over today to show you around town so we can set up everything for the party."

"Do you think she'll come?"

"I'll talk her into it if she has any doubts. You can call her by the time we hung up. She's still asleep but I'm sure she doesn't mind if you wake her up."

"You're talking about Rory here."

"I know." Warren smiled. "Have her here on campus in front of our flat at six tonight. I'll make sure everything else is taken care off and if there is any change in plans, I'll let you know."

"I'll call her right away and ask her to come with us and we'll have her back at her dorm at six tonight."

"Good. Thanks for helping me out."

"No, thank you for everything you did for her. You're a great guy Warren."

"Thanks. See you later."

"Bye." Lorelai hung up with a smile and dialled Rory's number.

"Hello this is Warren."

"Warren? Hi, is Rory there?" She decided to play along with his game.

"She's still asleep, but I can wake her if you want."

"You think she would mind?"

"Well, you're talking about Rory here." He repeated her earlier comment and Lorelai laughed about it. "I'll see what I can do for you."

"Thanks. I'll hold." She glanced into the restaurant and saw Luke staring at her. She waved at him while she waited for Rory to pick up the phone.

"Mom?" Rory's sleepy voice was heard.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Tired. Why are you calling me this early?"

"I was wondering if you want to show us around town today. We already saw some of the tourist stuff but you know Luke, he doesn't like it, so I thought that maybe you know some things he would like to see, you know."

"I don't know mom. I haven't talked to Warren about what he wants to do today."

"Oh." Lorelai faked disappointment. "I understand if you rather spend time with him and your friends. But I was really looking forward to this you know. But never mind then."

"I um…." Lorelai heard how Warren said something to Rory and smiled even though she couldn't hear what they were saying to each other. After a while she heard Rory's voice loud and clear again. "Mom?"

"I'm still here."

"Warren convinced me into coming with you. I just have to take a shower and have some breakfast. Let's say I'll be at your hotel in about an hour?"

"An hour sounds perfect."

"Okay. Better go now then. Later mom."

"Later kid." Lorelai hung up and walked back towards Luke.

"What was that all about?"

"Warren asked if we could keep Rory busy for the day. He's throwing her a surprise party tonight at six in her dorm room and he doesn't want her to get suspicious."

"And he asked you?" He smirked.

"Hey, I can keep a surprise."

"Yeah right."

"I didn't tell her we were coming here, did I?"

"No you didn't."

"Plus, you'll be there to keep an eye on everything I'm saying today so I won't accidentally mention anything. That's your duty for today mister."

"I didn't expect anything else."

Lorelai enjoyed having her family complete. Her husband and her two kids spending time together, even though Lucan was still too young to realize where he was or what was happening around him. Rory showed them some great places in London and even though there were some tourist spots, Luke enjoyed seeing them. He would never admit it out loud though.

It was 5.45 now and they were walking towards Rory's dorm room. Lorelai knew they were a little early so she tried going as slow as possible, without Rory noticing it. Rory however, knew her mother too well. "Why are you walking so slow mom?"

"Me, I'm not walking slowly?" She put up her innocent face.

"Yeah right. It looks like your stalling. You don't have to walk me there, you know? You can just go back to the hotel if you'd rather do that."

"No I don't." She stood still now, inwardly smiling that this could buy her some time. "I told you we wanted to come to your dorm room and help you pack. We're leaving tomorrow at noon and you don't want to wake up early to start packing."

"Then why are you stalling?"

"Because I don't like packing?"

"Then don't. I can do it by myself."

"No, I want to help you."

"Then keep walking, will ya? The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can do some fun stuff."

Lorelai checked her watch. 5.51. It was a 10 minute walk from where they were now. "Fine, I'll walk."

"Good."

It was exactly six o'clock when they reached the gate of the university. They heard some noise coming from campus, but Rory didn't think much about it. Noise was usual on the weekends. It wasn't until they were close to her building, that she realized there was a party going on. People were eating and drinking, and a band was playing. It wasn't until she saw the big sheet with the words 'Goodbye Rory' that she realized it was a party for her.

"Did you know this?" Rory looked at her mother.

"Yeah I did."

Rory hugged her mother. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Warren. He's behind all this."

They walked closer to the party and there were a lot of people. Almost everyone she had a class with the past year was there, and almost all of her teachers showed up as well. In the middle of all the people was Warren, a big smile on his face as he saw Rory's eyes tearing up. He stepped out of the cheering crowd towards his girlfriend. "Hey."

"Hey." She took a few steps towards him and when they were standing in front of each other, she put his arms around him. "Thank you."

"You don't have to say that. I know how you wanted to spend time with them and with your parents so I figured this was the best way to accomplish that."

"It's amazing. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I have a pretty good idea." He leaned back a little so he could wipe away her tears. "No crying tonight. This is about celebrating the past year."

"Okay." Rory smiled and leaned in to kiss Warren.

From a distance Luke and Lorelai were watching the interaction between Rory and Warren. Luke put his arm around Lorelai's shoulder. They didn't say anything but both knew how the other one was feeling. When Warren and Rory pulled apart they walked towards them and together they walked towards the crowd.  
"Now, introduce me to all your friends." Lorelai put her arm around her daughter.

"All of them?"

"Well, this morning Warren called me and said this party was about you saying goodbye to all your friends, and me meeting them."

"He did huh." Rory looked at all the people and knew it was impossible to introduce them all to her mother. She did the only things she could do. She stood still and yelled. "Can I have your attention please?" Slowly the crowd got quiet and they all put their attention to Rory. "Normally when I have to give a speech, I spend weeks preparing. Since this is a surprise party I couldn't prepare anything so you just have to take what comes into my mind first. Yesterday I talked to Warren and he asked me how I wanted to spend my last day here. I told him I had no idea, and that was the truth. I wanted to spend time with my family because I have really missed them over the last year, but I wanted to spend time with you because I don't know if and when I'll see you again. Thanks to Warren I didn't have to choose and he gave me all.

The past year has been amazing. I learned a lot, I had a lot of new experiences. I made new friends. I really had a great time. You were all there for me in your own special way. Working with me, teaching me, being my friends, being there for me when I missed my mom. There are no words to thank you for everything you did for me." She had to wipe away a few tears. "Warren just said today is about celebrating, but that's really hard, because saying goodbye is kind of a sad thing. Tomorrow I'm going home. Back to my family and friends in Stars Hallow and in September I will be going back to Yale. It will be different but good in its own way. But that doesn't mean that I will not miss you and this place, because I had an amazing year. And even though it was hard sometimes, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. So this may be a goodbye, but Warren is right, it's a celebration as well. Let's not think about what will come tomorrow, but let's celebrate the great year we all had." The crowd started yelling and applauding. Rory waited until they calmed down a little before she continued.

"I wasn't done just yet. Besides thanking you all, I want to thank my mom for supporting me and pushing me to come here over and over again when I had doubts. I know I missed you like crazy the past year and I know you felt the same way about me." Lorelai had tears in her eyes while she smiled at her daughter and felt Luke squeezing her hand. "I couldn't have done it without you. So thank you mom. And Luke, thank you for making me be a part of your and mom's new life even though I was here, on a different continent, far away from you. You made sure I didn't miss anything. Your proposal to mom and your wedding, the most important days of your and mom's lives. Thank you for that." Luke had to blink away a few tears himself now. "Now, to all of you, I want you to meet my parents. Come here for a second guys." Luke and Lorelai walked towards Rory. "These are my mom and dad." Rory hugged Luke and kissed his cheek, then turned to her mother and did the same. The crowd was still quiet and watched the interaction between Rory and her parents.

"Warren come here, please." Warren stepped forwards and kissed Rory and hugged both Luke and Lorelai. "So, this is my family, although you haven't seen my little brother yet. He's asleep right now but I'm sure you will see him later tonight. His name is Lucan and he's only four months old. When I told a few of you about him, you asked me if it wasn't weird to be so much older than my brother. To tell you the truth, no. Of course it's not common that you're twenty years older than your brother, but then again, nothing in my family is common, and that's what I love about them. I've never been more proud in my life, than the day I first held my brother. And that's all I wanted to say, really. I see there's a lot of food and drinks so I say let's party. Let's celebrate." The crowd started cheering again before they all walked away and went back to what they were doing before.

"I would have introduced you to them all, but I'm sure they'll introduce themselves to you when they feel like it."

"That's okay hon." They hugged again. "So you said something about food?"

"Yeah I did. Let's go."

Later that evening Luke and Lorelai were talking to some of Rory's friends, while Rory was looking for Warren. She found him at the bar. "Hey."

"Hey." He kissed her. "Enjoying your party?"

"Absolutely. How long have you been planning this?"

"I woke up with the plan this morning."

"What? How did you manage to put all this together on such a short notice?"

"I had help."

"Who?"

"Mostly Susan and John. Susan took care of inviting everybody while John and I took care of the food and the drinks and everything. Officially you're not allowed to drink alcohol on school property but Susan arranged this. She pulled some strings with the teachers and got approval as she invited them as well. We thought that it wouldn't be a problem if we did. A lot more people showed up than we intended in the first place, I'm sure you don't know them all by name."

"That's what you get when you throw a party when booze is involved."

He just smiled and looked up when John approached.

"Hey."

Rory turned around to look at on of her best friends here. "Hey."

"So, are you enjoying your party?"

"You're kidding right? Warren said you, Susan and he put all this together. It's amazing."

"It's nothing. The past year has been amazing for all of us and you deserve a party like this."

"Thanks."

"I'm going to miss you Rory."

"I'm going to miss you, too. You have to promise me you'll come visit me in Stars Hallow one day."

"I promise. And you have to promise you'll come back here one day."

"I will. I definitely will."

"Good. Now we've got that over with, you want to dance?"

"I would love too! How did you arrange the band this fast?"

"My neighbour at home is in the band. When I was younger we played together, but he was much better than I was and I was just holding him back so I supported him to go further. Now they play at parties all the time and they're going on a tour next year. We were lucky they were free tonight."

"My best friend at home plays in a band. She's touring as well."

"A rock band right? What was her name, Lane?"

"Yeah Lane. She's really good, but so is your neighbour."

"Tell him that later. He loves to hear that."

"I will. But let's dance now."

"Let's dance."

Around midnight the party started to calm down. A lot of people left, some to go out, some just to go to bed because they too were about to go home. Rory said goodbye to everybody and now there were only about twenty people left, including Warren, her parents, Susan and John. They put chairs together in a circle and went to get some more drinks. They didn't know how long they stayed like that, talking about the past year and sharing anecdotes with Luke and Lorelai. Lorelai had been smiling all night getting to know all of Rory's friends and the stories they told her gave her a good view on everything Rory did the past year.

About an hour later Lucan started to wake up. Rory picked her little brother out of the stroller and asked Lorelai to warm his bottle. They talked more while Rory fed her baby brother, enjoying having him in her arms. She couldn't believe this was her last night here. A night she wouldn't forget anytime soon. She didn't know what she expected for her last night, but this was something she couldn't even hope for. She didn't realize how many friends she had made until they were all together and it made it hard for her, knowing she had to go home. The mixed feelings were back again. She really wanted to go home. She missed everybody there but now she would miss all these people, especially the ones that were still at the party. These people became really close to her the past year, and she knows how much she'll miss them.

Slowly they started saying goodbye as well, leaving Rory, Warren, John, Susan, Luke and Lorelai alone. Lucan was back asleep in his stroller. It was 2.30 now and they could still sleep for a few hours until they had to get to the airport.

"What time do you have to leave tomorrow?" John asked.

"Noon. Our flight leaves at 3.30."

"How are you getting to the airport?"

"We're taking a cab."

"I can ask my dad if he'll drive you. He's not working tomorrow, but he has a private van and that way we can come to say goodbye at the airport. But only if you want of course."

Rory looked at her mother who nodded. "I would love that."

"Good. I'll call him first thing in the morning. I'll tell him to be here at 11.30 so we can pick up your parents at the hotel at noon."

"That's not necessary. We have to check-out before ten so we're leaving here at noon."

"Oh, of course, I forgot about that. But how do you get here from the hotel?"

"We'll take a cab, but don't worry about it. If your dad's here at noon, or a little before that because we have to take the entire luggage in, we're fine."

"Great. I'll tell him."

"Thanks."

"I'm going to bed then; otherwise I won't be up early enough to give him the call."

"Okay. Thanks for everything and see you tomorrow." Rory stood up to hug her friend.

"See you tomorrow."

"Well, I better go upstairs, because I still have to pack."

"You're just like your mother." Luke sighed.

"Hey, it's in the genes, I can't help it." She tried to look innocent.

"Yeah yeah. Well, let's go upstairs then so we can get this over with fast."

"You don't have to help me. You can just go back to the hotel and get some sleep. I can do it myself."

"Nah, we'll help." They all went upstairs to help Rory and after a little more than an hour, all her stuff was packed.

"We better go back to the hotel then. See you all in a few hours."

"Bye." Both Warren and Susan said.

"Goodnight mom, Luke."

"Goodnight kid."

"Goodnight Rory." They hugged and then left towards the elevator. They looked back and saw Rory and Warren standing in the door opening. It was hard to believe that after almost a year, Rory was finally going home with them.

"Well this is it." They were standing at the airport, ready to check-in.

"Don't say that." John smiled. "We made a deal yesterday, right?"

"Absolutely. And I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too. Take care Rory, and call me when you're home."

"I will." They hugged each other tight. Then Rory turned to Susan. "You were a great roommate."

"You too. The best I ever had."

"Absolutely. I'll miss you next year."

"I'll miss you too. Have a save flight home, and we'll keep in touch."

"Absolutely. Don't forget to visit me one day."

"I won't. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good, me too." The two girls hugged too.

She looked at Warren. "I'll miss you."

"We'll see each other again in a few days." He smiled.

"I know, but I'll miss you anyway."

"I'll miss you too." He took Rory in his arms and kissed her. "See you soon."

"I love you." A big smile was seen through her tears.

"I love you too, Rory." He kissed her again.

"I'll pick you up from the airport when you arrive."

"I know. We've been through this. Have a safe flight home and call me okay?"

"I will." One last kiss and a big hug before Warren turned to Luke and Lorelai, hugging them.

"See you soon."

The three friends watched how the family walked to the check-in desk. They kept watching until they were ready to go to the gate. They waved at each other once more before they all turned around into their own direction.

Rory got the window seat in the airplane. Lorelai wanted it too so Luke thought about a number below ten and Rory guessed right first. It was a big plane, so they had three seats next to each other. Lorelai was sitting in the middle, with Lucan in her lap. She looked to her left and to her right and then to the baby in her arms. Her family was complete and they were finally going home.

The plane started to roll to the runway. Luke was just as nervous as he had been a few days ago so Lorelai took his hand in hers again. Lucan had his pacifier in his mouth so the take-off wouldn't bother him too much, plus, he was asleep anyway. The airplane stopped, waiting for its turn. It didn't take long before they were first in line. The engines started to make a lot of noise and the plane started driving fast. Lorelai looked at her daughter who had tears in her eyes.

"You okay hon?"

"I will be. I'm going to miss this place though."

"I know you will." She wanted to take Rory's hand as well, but couldn't because she had to hold Lucan.

Before they knew it the airplane had his wheels of the ground and they were flying. "This is it." Rory stated for the second time that day.

Luke looked at Lorelai and let go of her hand so she could use it to hold Lucan while using the other to take Rory's. She squeezed her hand. "Don't say that kid. You'll come back here."

"I know, but it will be different. It's weird you know, because I'm really happy about going home."

"I know. I do know."

They watched how the landscape below them got tinier. It was a clear day so they had a good view. "Goodbye London." Rory whispered.

Soon there was no land below them anymore, and all that was left to see was the ocean. The big Atlantic Ocean they would spend the next few hours above, taking them back home. They were all lost in their own thoughts, although they all thought the same thing. They were back together, as a family. And they didn't know that the next year would bring them, but in the end it didn't matter either. Last year they didn't know what this year would bring them. There were much more good memories than there were bad ones. And they knew the next year would be the same, filled with good and with bad things. And in the end it didn't matter what those things were, as long as they were together, they were happy.


	42. Epilogue

_A/N: I've been thinking for a long time what I had to do with this story. I decided to end this story with an epilogue. Many of you reviewed the last chapter, and it's obvious that most of you don't want me to end this. However, one of you told me to end it here, because the last chapter was just too perfect. And I agree, it was the perfect ending to the story, so I end this with the epilogue. But don't be sad, because this won't be the real end. I mean, it will be for the story, but there will be a sequel.  
I wrote this chapter a few weeks ago and send it to LorelaiAkaCoffeeAddict , but since she just started college she didn't had the time to read it yet, and I just wanted to post it so this one is only checked by me. I hope no-one is mad about that but right now it seemed like the best option. I already wrote 2 and a half chapters for the sequel and all I really need is a name, so if you give me one I can post the first chapter of that one ;) For now, enjoy reading the end of this story and don't forget to let me know what you think!_

**Epilogue**

Nobody could have expected where they would drive into when they reached Stars Hallow. It was 5.15 p.m. and they were all very tired from the long flight home. The flight went without any problems, no delay, and the plane arrived almost 15 minutes earlier than expected. Luke and Lorelai had taken their car to the airport a few days earlier, so they had to drive home. Luke didn't expect to be this tired and would later admit that it wasn't responsible to drive like this and would never do that again.

When Luke drove the car towards the town center, he suddenly had to hit the brakes. The street was filled with people. On the side was a big banner with the words 'Welcome Home Rory!' It was as if the entire town was empty and they were all there. Lorelai turned around to look at her daughter who looked overwhelmed, shocked.

"Did you knew this?" Rory asked.

"No, but I guess we could have expected it. They really missed you."

Rory just smiled as she opened her door and stepped out of the car. She looked at all the people who came even closer. In the middle she saw her grandparents with big smiles on their faces. Everybody was talking through each other, all asking the same questions. Rory ignored them as she walked towards her grandmother and enveloped her in a tight hug. After that she turned to her grandfather and did the same.

From the car Luke and Lorelai were watching Rory. They looked at each other with huge smiles on their faces. "They all came."

"Yep." Luke used his usual grumpy voice, but Lorelai knew better.

"We better get out there too, before they kill her." They saw that after Rory hugged Richard, the whole town wanted to hug her. She tried hugging them one by one, but they all came closer and it started looking like one big group hug, with Rory in the middle.

"Don't you think we should safe our own lives? We could get killed too if we get out there."

"I'm willing to give up my life for my daughter's, but you can stay here if you want." Lorelai stepped out of the car and walked to the backdoor of the car. She opened it to get Lucan out.

Luke had turned around and looked at Lorelai. "If you want to get killed, fine by me. But leave him in there. I want him to live a little while longer."

"And not me?"

"You're a grown woman, it's your own choice."

"Gee thanks. Remind me of those words later."

"When, you're funeral?" Luke smirked.

"Very funny mister." Lorelai took Lucan out of his car seat, leaving Luke with no other

choice than to step out of the car as well. The three of them together walked towards the crowd. "Give her some room to breath." Lorelai yelled and slowly everybody started giving Rory some space.

Rory mouthed "Thank you" to her mother, as people kept asking her questions.

An hour later everybody was used to the idea of having Rory back. They all went somewhere to get some dinner, leaving Rory behind with her parents and grandparents. "We should be going too." Emily told Lorelai.

"Mom, you don't have to go. You hardly had the time to talk to Rory. Why don't you come home with us so we can all have some dinner and get a change to talk. I'm sure you want to know how the last few weeks have been for Rory."

"We would love that." Emily smiled. "But really, it's not necessary."

"Nonsense mom. We'll ask Lane to bring us some food. I'm sure Rory missed all the good diner food."

"Yeah grandma, please come. And you don't have to eat burgers, Caesar makes the best salads." Rory tried to sound convincing, although she didn't knew if she told the truth about the salads.

"Please mom?" "Please grandma." Both woman said at the same time with begging eyes.

"Let's go."

They each walked to their own car and took the short drive home. Richard parked his car behind Luke on the driveway. While Lorelai took Lucan, Rory and her mother inside, the men went to get the luggage.

When all the luggage was carried into the house, they found the 3 woman inside on the couch. Lorelai was feeding Lucan, while Rory and Emily were going through one of Luke's take-out menus. "Thanks for the help with the suitcases." Luke said sarcastically, making the woman look up.

"What?" Lorelai asked with an innocent voice. "I really wanted to help, but your son was hungry."

"Yeah yeah."

"It's true. Although I think it's about time he starts eating some permanent food."

"Can he have that already?" Luke sounded amazed.

"Yeah. You have those little jars in the supermarket, but you can also make some food yourself."

"We'll discuss that tomorrow then. You know what you want to eat?" Luke walked to the kitchen to get a piece of paper and a pen.

"Cheese burger, cheese chili fries and onion rings please."

"Okay." Luke wrote it down. "Rory?"

"Same please."

"Okay. Emily, have you decided yet?"

"I do, actually. I'd like a Caesar salad and a hamburger please."

"What?" Lorelai looked shocked. "You want a hamburger? You hate diner food."

"I like a good hamburger sometimes."

Lorelai shook her head, but decided to let it go and turned her attention back to her son.

"Richard?"

"I like a hamburger as well, with fries please."

"No salad?"

"Not today." He glanced at Emily who said nothing, she just smiled. She hardly ever let Richard eat food like that, but once in a while, mostly when nobody watched, she let him have some. And since today was a special occasion she decided not to pull a fight.

"Okay." He wrote down Richard's order and what he wanted himself. Then he walked to the telephone to give the order to Lane and asked her to bring it by. It was dinner rush, but since Jake was working as well, Lane could leave for a few minutes.

"So Rory, how is it to be back home again?" Emily looked at her granddaughter.

"Weird. It's just that everything looks the same, as if I wasn't even gone. It's really nice to be back because I really missed this place. My mom, Luke, Lucan, you and grandpa, Lane, my room and everybody else. My friends from Yale, the crazy town people. But I'm really going to miss London and all my friends there. At least Warren will be here in a few days and I think the closest friends I got there will come to visit here sometime and I will go back after a while to see how everybody is doing."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"So Rory, did you finish all your courses? "Richard asked.

"Yeah, every single one of them, and all positive!"

"That's wonderful."

"You didn't expect that dad?

"Of course I didn't. But it's always good to know."

"Oh okay."

Rory looked at her mother making sure to let her know not to say anything more. Then she turned to Emily. "How are you doing grandma?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you."

"Mom told me that before you left you had a panic attack."

"Oh, that was nothing." Emily felt uncomfortable talking about this.

"From what I've heard it was pretty scary. But how have you been doing since?"

Emily looked at her granddaughter, then to her daughter, Luke and her husband, knowing there wasn't a way to get out of the subject. "Things are going really good. I was finally able to convince your grandfather to let the nurse go. I can do everything myself and there's always someone around if necessary."

"That's great mom. You haven't told me that when I called you 3 days ago."

"I didn't thought it was interesting. I found it way more interesting to hear about how you were doing."

"But it's interesting mom. Your health is important to us, no matter where we are. It's great news that you're on your own again. And how about the panic attacks, no more of those?"

Emily realized that her attempt to change the subject didn't work. She looked Richard, hoping he would take over. Fortunately he got the message. "Your mother has been doing really good. The doctor advised her to talk to someone about the accident. She did and that really helped. She has no more nightmares and… well she's doing really well." He was afraid he said to much already and from the look his wife gave him he knew he did.

Lorelai looked at her mother, but knew the look as well and decided to let it go, hoping Rory would do the same. They were saved by the doorbell. It was Lane with dinner.

Richard and Emily stayed for coffee after dinner, but insisted on going home afterwards. From having traveled a lot themselves, they knew how exhausted everyone must be. So after Lorelai promised that they'd be coming to Friday night dinner and that she'd call before that, they left.

"Finally, silence." Lorelai said after they walked back into the house.

"But it was nice they came. I really liked how they were all waiting for us on the streets."

"Luke like or really like?"

"I really liked it. It's crazy how you miss everything when you're gone for so long. It was good to see everyone again, and this saves me a lot of visits."

"I guess that's true. So what do you want to do now?"

"Just go to bed. I know that it's against the jetlag rules, but since I hardly slept last night I'm exhausted. I really need to sleep."

"Yeah, I have to ask Luke, but I think we're going to do the same. Although we might stay up a little longer until Lucan's last feeding. But you can go to bed. I have to check up on the inn in the morning, but we can hang out after that if you like."

"That will be great. And I can go to the diner to hang out with Lane while you're at the inn. We've talked for a little while earlier but not much because everybody kept asking me questions."

"I know. That'll calm down in a few days. Although that will be when Warren shows up so they'll start asking questions about him."

"That's what you get when you live in a small town right? And you know what, you actually miss it when you live in a big city like London. Even at campus there are so many people walking around you don't know. When you walk in the city, you know almost nobody. And if you see the same person a second time, and say hi, they look at you like you're crazy."

"Lucky that I wasn't planning on moving to a big city then. But you better go to bed now, we'll talk in the morning."

"Goodnight mom." Rory kissed her mother's cheek.

"Goodnight kid."

When Rory walked towards her room, Lorelai went upstairs to find Luke. He was unpacking their suitcase. Most of the clothes were going directly into the laundry basket.

"Hey."

"Hey." He looked up.

"You didn't have to do that. I would have done it tomorrow."

"That's okay. I don't mind, what's done is done right?"

"Yeah. Hey, I was thinking, do you want to go to bed now or do you want to wait until Lucan's last feeding?"

He checked his watch. "We could get a few hours of sleep if we go to bed now. But I want to finish this first okay?"

"Then I'm going to take a shower before going to bed."

"Sure, get that dirty airplane feeling of you."

"You sound like my mother now."

"What?"

"When she and Rory came back from Europe two years ago, she didn't wanted to hug me because of the dirty airport feeling."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Don't ask, what you said earlier reminded me of it. I'm going to take that shower now."

She walked towards their bedroom to get some clean clothes before walking back to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

45 Minutes later they were both laying in bed, Luke on his back and Lorelai snuggled up against his side, her head on his shoulder.

"It's good to have her back you know."

"I know. We're finally together, all of us."

"Yeah. This summer is going to be great, don't you think? Of course there's Warren so I have to share her, but I can see her and hang out with her, I missed that so much."

"I know you did. But you don't have to worry about that anymore, because she's here now. She's downstairs in her bed, safe and probably already sleeping."

"Yeah. She really had a great time there didn't she?"

"She made a lot of friends. So many people showed up at the goodbye party."

"I know. She made some impression."

"Just like her mom." He kissed her forehead.

"Hey Luke?" Lorelai asked, after being silent for a while.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think our life turned out okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, last year around this time we found out I was pregnant with Lucan. We hadn't even discussed the subject of kids yet, so do you like how things turned out, even though they weren't planned this way?"

"When we were in London I've told you that I always wanted to have kids with the right person. Even though we didn't plan on having Lucan at the moment, or having discussed the subject of kids, I can't think of our life without him. I wouldn't have had it any other way. And don't forget about the other things we discussed in London."

"So you think it turned out okay?" She lifted her head a little so she could look in his eyes.

"Better than okay. But why are you asking?"

Laying her head back on his shoulder she replied: "When I was standing in the shower earlier I was thinking that my life turned out completely different than I thought it would when I was a kid. When I just turned 15 I wanted to graduate high school and go to Harvard, just like Rory always wanted. I never told her this of course, because I don't regret how things turned out. I wonder sometimes what my life would have been like if I hadn't gotten pregnant with Rory. But I push those thoughts out of my mind soon, realizing I wouldn't have had her. I probably wouldn't have ended up in Stars Hallow either so I would have never met you."

"That wouldn't have been good."

"I agree. You remember the time when we had to go to Stars Hallow high to talk about our successes?"

"How could I forget? You and that blond woman, what's her name? She and her friends all came after you for the things you said about Rory. I didn't told you then, but you did the right thing. You told the truth. Of course it would have been easier to ignore all those questions and to admit that it was a stupid to get pregnant when you were sixteen. And it was, but it turned out okay for you. You're the most successful woman I know."

"You just say that because I'm your wife." She kissed his chest.

"No, I'm saying it because it's true. You were just a kid when you raised Rory, and you raised her into this amazing woman. She's smart, independent, successful, and all because of you."

"I just got lucky with her."

"I don't believe that. I believe that it will be the same with Lucan in 20 years."

"So maybe we got lucky twice."

"I don't believe in luck."

"I do, otherwise I wouldn't have walked into the diner that first day."

"You would have come in on another day."

"Maybe, you never know."

"You needed coffee right?"

"Yeah, but I usually went to Weston's. Only, it was closed for the day so I had to find something else."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

"Me too." A big smile appeared on her face. "Turned out your coffee was way better."

They were both silent for a while and Luke thought Lorelai had fallen asleep when she called his name again. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the best thing that happened to you the past year?"

"That's hard to tell. There were so many great things that it's hard to pick. Our wedding, Lucan's birth. I guess those two come first."

"And the worse?"

"A lot of things happened when it comes to that."

"I know."

"What do you like best of everything that happened the past year?"

"First of course your proposal. That night was just perfect. I never expected all the things you did for me that night."

"Did you wonder why I never asked you before?"

"Rory told me the night you proposed, when I was angry at you for not telling me that she was home. I was so embarrassed that night, I completely ruined our moment."

"You know that I understand right?"

She nodded. "You always do. Whenever I'm angry at you or whenever something happens you're understanding. Sometimes I wonder where you got that."

"From my father. He was the most understanding man in the world. At least when it came to my mother, Liz and me. He too had trouble dealing with guys like Taylor."

"He was a really great guy, wasn't he?"

"Absolutely. He was there for us when my mom died, even though he had a really hard time. And when Liz got pregnant, he wasn't mad. Of course he was disappointed, but not mad. When Jimmy left her he did everything he could to help her out. It wasn't until after my father died, things went really bad with Liz. Jess was 5 at the time. It was really sad and I tried to help them, but she wouldn't let me. She married a guy and my dad wasn't there to stop her. I know he would have so I tried, but that only worked in the wrong direction."

"She got it together now."

"Yeah she does. So, what else?" He wanted to change the subject again.

"What else?"

"What else besides the proposal."

"The wedding and the preparations for the wedding. Rory was there to help me, and my mom was there to help me, and it was the first time we spent hours together and didn't fight. Me and my mom of course, not Rory and me because we spend a lot of hours together not fighting. And the wedding itself was better than I could have ever dreamed. Every girl dreams about her wedding, from when you are really little. I expected it to be romantic and that I would have a beautiful dress, but it was much more than that. It was… magical."

Luke smiled, remembering the night.

"I can't believe how much we put together in only a few days of time. Some people plan their wedding for years, and I can't believe it would be more special, or even equally special as ours. New Years eve, midnight, the fireworks, the candles, the huge flowers but most of all the snow." Luke smile went even bigger at that. "When I was walking down the aisle all the nervousness faded away. All I saw was you. The words of the minister that didn't even register. I couldn't tell exactly what he said until I watched the wedding video a few weeks later. All I could think was, did he say that?"

"I know, believe me I know."

"And the vows. They were perfect. It's hard to explain how much those words meant to me."

"I just forgot about everything else around us. It was like it was just you and me."

"I sure know that feeling. Weird isn't it?"

"Yeah I guess."

"And the dance. I love dancing with you. We should do that more often."

"Then it wouldn't be special anymore."

"Still, we should dance more often."

"So, how about the day Lucan was born?"

"Well, the delivery is something that definitely doesn't have to happen if you ask me, but somehow you totally forget about that and the pain from the contractions when you hold your kid in your arms for the first time. His tiny fingers, his tiny nose, his beautiful dark blue eyes, the short hair on his head. The moment when you're finally able to see the kid that has been inside of you for so long. It's hard to describe how it feels."

"I think it's different for me because you already connected with him. I already loved him, even before he was born, but it's still different. But the first time I saw him…"

"You were so proud."

"Yeah." A big smile appeared on his face.

"You were so afraid to crush him when I told you to hold him the first time. It took you a while to get comfortable."

He said nothing, but just kissed her forehead.

"It was hard adjusting to having a baby in the house again, but not because of him because we got really lucky when it comes to him. It's just hard having to take care of someone 24 hours a day. I did it with Rory but she grew up and she didn't need me anymore all the time. It took me some time to get used to it again. It just looked like it was a lot easier for you than it was for me."

"That's not true. Besides Jess, I never even held a baby. I didn't knew how to take care of a kid, and I learned it from you. It looked like you knew exactly what you were doing and slowly I started to learn as well. I felt just the other way, like it was natural for you."

"We're something, aren't we." She kissed him.

"Mmm…" He said, after pulling away. "He's growing up so fast."

"Yeah. I can't believe he can eat permanent food already."

"Are you really sure about that?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of food?"

"Usually they give fruit in the morning and normal dinner in the evening. Of course you have to mix it so that it's puree and it can't be spicy or something. With Rory I just bought those little jars but if you want you can cook yourself. I'm sure we can find some recipes on the internet that tell what he can and can't have. And he can have more every time. And I guess he can also have porridge. I'll look it up tomorrow."

"I like the idea of making it myself. But how about if you have him?"

"We can put it in jars or plastic dishes so all I have to do is heat it up. I'm sure I can do that. And the fruit is cold anyway."

"Does he still need milk?"

"Yeah, only less than he gets now. We're still feeding him 5 times a day, it should become 4 or even 3, but we'll see if he's hungry or not."

"Sounds good" He kissed her. "So how about the bad things of the past year?" He was curious how she thought about those things.

"Not everything was easy last year. The first few months after Rory was gone, I was really crabby. I just missed her so much, it must have been really hard to live with me then."

"No. The hard thing was to see you so unhappy. I wanted to do everything to make you feel better."

"You did. You tried so hard and I kept acting so bad. It didn't change until that night when the first snow came. I'm so glad that you talked me into coming with you. It made me realize that I didn't need Rory to be happy. Of course I need her, but in a different way, you know?"

"I do. And I think it was different when she left the second time."

"It was less difficult, because it wouldn't be that long before I'd see her again, at least not as long as the first time. Plus I knew what to expect and had a lot to look forward to. And the unexpected honeymoon helped a lot too"

"So you liked that?"

"Liked it, I loved it! Even though it was only one night, it was very special. I will never forget it."

"I'm glad." He smiled.

"I just didn't realize that I would see Rory again so soon. When my parents got in that accident, it was definitely the hardest thing we've been trough last year. I've never been so scared in my life."

"At least everything turned out okay right?"

"Yeah. And it really changed the relationship with my mom. When she got that panic attack right before we left to London, everything came back. I'm glad it was only a panic attack and from the way she looked earlier today, I think she's doing really great."

"She's doing a lot better. You can see that she's not completely back to normal yet, but she's getting there. There's a big difference between now and two weeks ago. The fact that the nurse isn't coming anymore and she can do almost everything by herself now, is a huge step into the right direction."

"And it's good she decided to talk to someone about the accident. And she never had another panic attack. I just feel bad that she never told me about the nightmares."

"That's just your mother, Lorelai. She doesn't talk about stuff like that. You saw how uncomfortable she got when you and Rory asked her those questions. She tried hard to find a way out without having to answer them."

"She was really happy to see Rory wasn't she?"

"Of course she was. Everybody was." He kissed her forehead again.

"Yeah. It's good to have her home."

"I believe that's where we started this conversation."

"I know, I just can't say it enough."

He kissed her, then turned around to look at his alarm clock. "We've been talking for so long, that Lucan will wake up soon."

"I like talking to you like this. I could do it all night. We don't do it enough."

He kissed her again and she laid her head on his chest when they pulled apart. After a few minutes Luke said: "I think I should go downstairs now to warm up a bottle. You can go to sleep if you want, I'll take care of him."

"Nah, if you go downstairs, I'll check up on our little boy, wake him up, give him a clean

diaper. I prefer falling asleep next to you."

"Sounds like a plan."

They stayed in bed for a few more minutes, enjoying the feeling of being close, before stepping out of bed. While Luke went downstairs, Lorelai walked into the nursery. The baby was still asleep so Lorelai put all the stuff she needed on the changing table before waking up the baby. She walked to his crib silently and enjoyed watching her son for a while before picking him up. He didn't woke up until she opened his pajamas and took of the dirty diaper. He looked at his mother with big sleepy eyes. Lorelai smiled at her son and put on a new diaper. Then she picked the baby up and walked downstairs and sat down on the couch. It didn't took long before Luke walked in with the bottle. He sat down next to Lorelai and together they watched how the baby drank the milk.

When the bottle was empty Lorelai handed Luke the baby. While he lifted him to his shoulder, she stood up and walked towards Rory's room. She opened the room, carefully not to wake her and stood in the door opening. Luke walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and gave him a big smile. She gave Lucan a kiss on his nose and stepped into Rory's room to kiss her forehead. Luke stayed in the door opening and watched Lorelai with a smile on his face. She stayed next to Rory for a few minutes before walking out of the door, Luke stepped aside to let Lorelai through and she closed the door behind her carefully.

They walked up the stairs together, into Lucan's room. The little boy was almost asleep already. They both kissed his forehead before Lorelai covered him with the blanket. She took Luke's hand in hers as she they watched their son for a while. He was asleep before they finally left his room.

Back in their own bed they lay in each others arms again. "It feels good to know that both our kids are asleep in their own bed." Lorelai said.

"Yeah it does." Luke replied. And it didn't took long before they fell asleep themselves.


End file.
